Fortnite Champion Series changes format and retains $10 million prize pool

The Fortnite Champion Series (FNCS) returns for 2023, alongside its $10 million prize pool to be distributed throughout the year. However, this year, the FNCS Global Championship is reformatting to look more like other esports with a new principals-focused structure.

The Fortnite Champion Series season will be divided into three major tournaments that will take place over a total of five weeks each. The duos will compete online for a spot in this week's finals. Duos that compete in the Weekly Finals will earn Series Points based on their performance. The top 40 duos will automatically advance to the grand final of that major. Teams ranked 41st through 90th will still have a chance to earn one of the final 10 spots during Surge Week.

The first major grand final will take place in March. Teams from around the world will compete for a share of the $2 million prize pool. Epic plans to hold three major tournaments in total from February to August, each awarding a total of $2 million.

Teams that do not qualify for the FNCS Global Championship 2023 during the Majors will still have a chance to compete for a spot in the FNCS Last Chance Major. However, these teams will have to compete from the bottom bracket.

The competitive season will culminate in the fourth quarter with an in-person tournament in Copenhagen, Denmark. The top 75 teams from around the world will play for a share of the remaining $4 million in prize money.

The FNCS Global Championship has reserved a number of qualifying spots for each region. Later majors usually award more qualifying places.

Region Total number of qualification places Europe 26 NA East 15 NA West 8 Brazil 8 Oceania 5 Middle East 5 Asia 8

Epic will stream each event in English, Portuguese, and Japanese. Additionally, a clean stream will be provided for broadcasters, allowing streamers to host their own co-streams and watch parties. It's unclear whether contestants will be able to air their own take on the event. This has traditionally boosted viewership and allowed Fortnite competitors to successfully build their own brands.

More details on timing and format can be found here.

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