Fortnite players will soon compete in the video game's first solo tournament, reportedly called the Alpha Tournament, which will use a new matchmaking system and closely resemble the Solo Showdown ranked mode introduced in May.
Start and end times
The tournament is slated to run from 7pm EST until 10pm EST on Tuesday, October 16, which is 5pm BST until 8pm BST for players in the UK, and is set to conclude on Sunday, October 21.
Rules and scoring
Scoring will work similarly to the system Epic Games uses for professional level play, mixing victory and elimination-based scoring to determine the final match standings.
Matchmaking system
For the first solo tournament, Epic Games will introduce a new skill-based matchmaking system. Instead of the old system, which matched players by the platform they use, the new system will match players based on their performance in the tournament. The change is designed to make matches fairer and give less-skilled players a better chance of winning.
Prize for reaching 20 points
Players who reach 20 points will receive a reward described as a "shiny pin," likely a new category of item or banner. Epic Games has not yet revealed further details of the reward, including whether it will display on a player's in-game avatar.
What is Fortnite
Fortnite is a free-to-play action-shooter developed and published by Epic Games. It has a player base of 125 million people worldwide. The game was first released in September 2017, with its popular battle royale mode added shortly afterwards that same month.
Fortnite Battle Royale pits 100 players against each other in fast-paced matches that combine shooter gameplay with scavenging for gear and building fortifications on the map. The game is currently available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Windows, MacOS, iOS and Android.
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