Sudbury teen heading to Fortnite’s world championship – News – MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA

In addition to the eight hours spent playing “career games,” such as first-shooter games, Herzog spends about an hour on “nonsense, just games for fun.”

SUDBURY – Eight hours a day, Jordan Herzog, 16, is in his gaming room – headphones on, mic ready – honing his craft.

“My dad put a controller in my hands when I was 3,” said Herzog, a competitive Fortnite player. “I’ve been playing games since forever.”

In the gaming world, Herzog is known as Crimz on the video game streaming service Twitch. In July, he and his team partner, Zach Gifford, 18, of Texas (who goes by “OT Spadess”), will be among 50 duo teams competing in Fortnite’s World Cup Finals in July in Queens, New York. Top 100 solo players will also compete in the tournament.

Thirty-million dollars is at stake – including $3 million to the solo champion.

Released in 2017, Fortnite is an online multiplayer shooter game created by developer Epic Games.

Jordan Herzog’s father, David – who owns Gaming Outfitters in Hudson – is ecstatic, saying it’s as if his son is competing on “American Idol.”

“Years ago, parents used to say, ‘No, only one hour (of gaming),'” said David Herzog. “I knew if he kept at it and kept playing, this day would come.”

Jordan has his sights on pursuing the game – a part of the burgeoning esports industry – as a career. In addition to the eight hours on “career games,” such as first-shooter games, he also spends about an hour on “nonsense, just games for fun.” Akin to golfers visiting the driving range to practice their shots, he also uses an app called KovaaK to practice his aim, building up rhythm and technique.

Formerly a student at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, Jordan left to enroll into online school at TEC Connections Academy (TECCA). The process began about two years ago and was finalized this year.

Setting up the gaming room cost about $20,000. It’s equipped with multiple monitors, a gaming chair, microphone and a keyboard that lights up. There’s a similar costly set-up also at his mother’s home. The week before the qualifier, David Herzog said they spent about $3,000 getting the house ready with the best internet service.

“I’ll probably be competing for the next four to five years. That could mean Fortnite if it continues to be alive, or the next game that is popular and in the same genre,” said Jordan Herzog, saying most professional gamers attract sponsorships and advertisers. “At that point, I’d probably try to make most of my money just streaming, if I…