Epic Games’ commitment to esports came mid-2018. A whopping $100 USD million was put on the line for for tournaments. The Aussies are some of the first to received part of this promise. $500,000 AUD was on the line for Fortnite Summer Smash. AU$400,000 became the prize pool for competitive play, and a further $100,000 AUD for the show match. The winners of the Pro-Am donated their prize earnings to charities of their choice.
Whilst it was unclear where these millions would end up, fans knew it would be something epic. Money was given across the 2018-2019 season. Competitive play, “organised events”, and major tournaments would be the focus. We’ve since seen dollars pool sent to multiple Fortnite skrimishes, and other similar events. The Fortnite Summer Smash was the first event in Oceania to receive part of the pool.
Celebrities battling for charities
Fortnite Summer Smash is the first Pro-Am in Oceania and the second in the world. Epic Games held the first Pro-Am at E3 in June 2018. Celebrities battled it out for various charities. A big $1 million USD was put on the line. Now the Aussies have shown they can do the same. battling for charities may become an esports norm. We’re sure to see more tournaments, competitions, and charity events in future as Epic Games delivers on its $100 million prize pool. Both Pro-Am competitions have received renounced success with many charities benefiting from the tournament.
Charities Heaps Decent and Water receive donations
Like the E3 Pro-Am, the Australian Pro-Am featured many celebrities. From Supercars drivers, to tennis stars, Twitch Streamers, YouTubers, musicians, and more. Players Harley “Mrfreshasian” Campbell, and his teammate Jacko “JXN” Brazier received AU$50,000 for winning the competition.
The duo split their AU$50,000 to charities Heaps Decent and Water.org. Safe water will be available to millions worldwide through small loans. Funds will also help young people and emerging artists from diverse communities to tell their stories.
Celebrities who competed included Nick Kyrogios, Dave Hughes, Peking Duk, LazarBeam, Loserfruit, and Lachlan. International players also took part in the Pro-Am tournament. Visitors from Japan, Korea, and China participated in the show matches. A steady 20,000 concurrent viewers tuned in to watch the matches on all streams.
Tennis meets @fortnitegame 🙌@NickKyrgios taking in some #AusOpen #FortniteSummerSmash! pic.twitter.com/GiobLdp7hF
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 27, 2019
This first Oceania ProAm is sure to be another cornerstone to more esports competitions like this in future. We may see even many more esports titles looking to help charities with the success of the Pro-Am competitions being constantly proven.
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