The Fortnite Summer Smash was a record-breaking esports event.
During the Australian Open grand finals weekend, the Fortnite Summer Smash drew crowds from around the world. It’s the biggest esports event ever held in Australia in terms of money. Fans from around the globe came to Margaret Court Arena to watch their stars battle it out. Kids were dancing and yelling from the crowds. Many parents and non-esports personnel continuously proclaimed in awe, “I’ve never seen anything like this. Where in the world are there this many kids going crazy over online stars?”
And they were right. Esports has shown it’s capable of attracting a young, vibrant crowd. This event has further established Australia as a legitimate space for esports.
This place is so hyped. If you're at the #AusOpen come check out the #FortniteSummerSmash at Margaret Court Arena#Fortnite #esports #esport #gamer #gamergirl #SummerSmash #AustralianOpen pic.twitter.com/h39eOBaUXa
— ✨ 🍩 Michelle Mannering (@MishManners) January 27, 2019
Summer Smash results
But enough about the crowds. Everyone is here for the results. After six grueling matches a victor was decided. The standings were determined on a points-based system:
- Victory Royale: +3 Points
- 2nd-3rd Place: +2 Points
- 4th-10th Place: +1 Point
- 3-4 Eliminations: +1 Point
- 5-6 Eliminations: +2 Points
- 7+ Eliminations: +3 Points
Results were calculated at the end of each round. Each game had the crowd sitting on the edge of their chairs. Renegades player Jesse “X2Twins” Eckley quickly established himself as a favorite. Winning the first three Victory Royales, he cemented his position in first. Players Dolf, Jynx, and TheSchnake all took first place in matches four to six respectively. Players who didn’t make it into the top ranks put points on the board through eliminations.
Fortnite champion
X2Twins had himself in a great position from the start. Having won the first three games and picking up multiple eliminations in each match placed him at the top of the score board. X2Twins is the Aussie who took out the first Fortnite Summer Smash. He walks away with AU$100,000 cash. X2Twins said this on winning the Summer Smash:
It’s really good to come out with the win. A lot of practice goes into it… it’s been good to be able to showcase our talent. We’ve sort of been under the radar being in OCE. It’s good to see we’re getting some recognition.
Jesse of @x2twinsTwitch clutches out the ultimate Victory Royale today at the #AusOpen #FNSummerSmash and takes out $100k as the Grand Prize! #ytb
🏆 Three Victory Royales
🥈 One Second Place Finish
👑 #KingOfAustralia pic.twitter.com/PNuWjgbeHC— Renegades (@Renegades) January 27, 2019
Check out our full article on X2Twins, where we have a chat with the man himself.
As for the rest of the players, here are the top ten:
1st: X2Twins Jesse
2nd: Araki
3rd: NotNaapr
4th: TheSchnake
5th: Gosu_Keith
6th: Jynx
7th: Dolf
8th: DevourOCE
9th: Kayez
10th: Tayler_is_me
Second and third were each awarded AU$50,000. AU$25,000 went to fourth and firth place, while seventh to tenth each took home AU$5,000. The players who sat 11th-15th also got a share of the prize money with AU$3,000 each, 16th-20th got AU$2,000, and every player who competed in the finals received AU$1,000. That is rather a substantial amount of money considering most of the tournaments run in Australia sit around the $1,000-$5,000 mark for prize pools. This competition is sure to create the spark the Aussie esports scene needs.
Smash Smash ProAm
It wasn’t all about taking home lots of money. The tournament wasn’t just showing off some of the talent we have here in Australia. The Fortnite Summer Smash also bought celebrities to the battle field. One hundred stars from esports, sports, business, and more came together to play Fortnite for charity. Gaming personalities included Loserfruit, DrLupo, Muselk, LazarBeam, and Lachlan. Stars like David “Hughesy” Hughes (Australian TV/radio comedian), Mitch Robinson (Brisbane Lions), Richie Stanaway (Boost Mobile Supercars), Nick Krygios (Tennis), and many more also took to the battle.
The tournament consisted of random duos. Some celebrities had played Fortnite before, whilst many were playing for the first time. But it wasn’t about the money. The winners received AU$50,000, which would go to a charity of their choice. Harley “Mrfreshasian” Campbell and his teammate Jacko “JXN” Brazier won the ProAm. They’ll be able to donate the money to various charities of their choosing. Second and third place winners also received AU$20,000 for a charity of their choice as well as fourth place for AU$10,000.
Many of the ProAm players commented on the excitement and fun they had whilst playing the Summer Smash. They said the atmosphere was incredible and something they hadn’t really experienced elsewhere. Hopefully we’ll see more events like this in future.
To watch the full Summer Smash, head over to the Aus Open Twitch channel.
