Epic is to host a new tournament cup in battle royale game Fortnite starting from August 23rd. The #FreeFortnite Cup will offer the chance to win a new outfit in-game, but there's also some real-life gaming hardware and apparel to win, too.
What is Epic's #FreeFortnite Cup?
Recently, Fortnite was pulled from both the Google Play Store and the iOS App Store after Epic introduced a direct payment system for the game which violated the terms and conditions of both storefronts. Epic is currently embroiled in lawsuits against both Apple and Google, claiming that both companies' insistence on payments going through them constitutes an unfair monopoly. The #FreeFortnite cup is named for Epic's desire to see Fortnite back on both stores with its direct payment system intact. It'll take place on August 23rd and will offer a number of prizes based on points scored. You can score points via the following methods:
- Active time - 1 point will be awarded for every 3 minutes you spend on Fortnite's island
- Eliminations - you'll be granted 1 point per elimination
- Victory Royale - winning a game will net you 10 points
Scoring 10 points will get you the "Tart Tycoon" outfit, which consists of a suit and apple-shaped headgear, as seen in their 198Fortnite video. Top-scoring players across all regions - up to a cap of 20,000 players (no pun intended) - will receive a #FreeFortnite adjustable hat with a not-so-subtle Apple parody emblazoned across the front. It's worth noting that this is divided up by region and doesn't mean, for example, that 20,000 players all from the USA could attain the prize. To see the distribution of players and top-scorers in each region, check out the #FreeFortnite Official Rules.
What about the gaming hardware?
Epic says it's also giving away 1,200 pieces of gaming hardware. These prizes will go to the players with the most apples eaten across a session and in a single match. Again, these numbers are capped according to your region; in Europe, for example, prizes will go to the top 240 players who eat the top in a match, and the top 240 in a session, while in Brazil it's the top 60 players. Make sure to check the rules to find out what the numbers look like in your area. You could win one of the following prizes, all of which are devices on which you'll be able to play Fortnite even after it's removed from the respective storefronts:
- Alienware gaming laptop
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 tablet
- OnePlus 8 smartphone
- PS4 Pro
- Xbox One X
- Nintendo Switch
If you're an Android user, you'll still be able to play Fortnite after it gets removed from the Google Play Store; you can simply download the game direct from Epic. However, Apple users will be left in the cold by this update and won't be able to play updated versions of Fortnite on their iPhones or iPads unless Epic can get the game reinstated. Instead, they'll be left with the Season 3 version of the game, and fall increasingly out of sync with other platforms. We'll bring you more on this ongoing issue as it develops.
Will you be participating in the #FreeFortnite Cup? Let us know in the comments below!
