Advertisement

Dublin teenager 'feeling nothing but excitement' ahead of Fortnite World Cup

A Dublin teenager will compete for a $3 million video game tournament prize today as one of the p...
Stephen McNeice
Stephen McNeice

14.13 28 Jul 2019


Share this article


Dublin teenager 'feeling nothi...

Dublin teenager 'feeling nothing but excitement' ahead of Fortnite World Cup

Stephen McNeice
Stephen McNeice

14.13 28 Jul 2019


Share this article


A Dublin teenager will compete for a $3 million video game tournament prize today as one of the players in the inaugural Fortnite World Cup.

17-year-old Josh Juliano - who goes by the screen-name LolB0om - is one of just a hundred 'Solo' competitive Fortnite gamers who made the cut.

The total prize pool for the World Cup is $30 million.

Advertisement

Qualifying alone secures players a $50,000 prize, with six and seven figure prizes for those who finish in the top twenty.

Yesterday saw the 'Duos' (meaning teams of two) final won by a Norwegian and Austrian team, while a British teenager took home the second prize alongside his Dutch teammate.

The 'Solos' action, meanwhile, gets underway from 5pm this evening.

Speaking ahead of today's tournament, Josh said he feels nothing but excitement.

He said: "I'm just imagining millions of players playing the game - and only 170 players qualified for the Solos and Duos.

"There are millions of people watching all over the world.

"So I will be focusing on my mindset - making sure it doesn't get into my head, and I can just perform at a top level."

Despite the high stakes, Josh said he's feeling no pressure, explaining: "All I want to do is play my game, and hopefully bring back the title as one of the best Fortnite players."

Josh also noted it's going to be a new experience for him, as he'll be competing against players from outside Europe for the first time.

Speaking about the potential prize, he added: "All the players are already guaranteed $50,000 - it's only the top 20 who get more... like a lot more!"

The wildly popular Fortnite is a battle royale game, which sees 100 players face off against each on a large map.

Over the course of the game, the numbers drops as players are taken out by others - and, unlike many games, once a character is killed they're out of the match.

All players begin a match by choosing a land spot and parachuting onto the map.

They then have to quickly scramble to find equipment and weapons.

As well as traditional third-person shooting mechanics, players can also build structures to give themselves an edge over others.

The surviving players are forced into a smaller and smaller play area as the minutes progress.

The fight continues only one player remains - winning what's dubbed a 'Victory Royale'.

Main image: Spectators follow the Fortnite World Cup at the Arthur Ashe Tennis Stadium in New York. Picture by: Benedikt Wenck/DPA/PA Images

Share this article


Read more about

Fortnite Josh Juliano Video Games

Most Popular