While most people like playing Fortnite casually, some players turn it into a career through competitive gaming, entering the world of e-sports. Players enter massive competitions, some of which award the top players with millions of dollars. There are lots of these competitions held throughout the world annually, meaning countless professional players participate, looking to take the top spot.
But which players are the best? And what makes a good Fortnite player? In this list, we’ll highlight the best Fortnite players from around the globe — citing their best accomplishments since competitive Fortnite began. It’s worth mentioning that this list will only focus on those who play competitively. We’ll be evaluating player consistency and the ability to perform well across multiple game modes, and we’ll look at some of the top earners across the board.
These are the best Fortnite players.
Further reading
- 9 tips to help you master Fortnite on your smartphone
- How to win Fortnite
- The best keybinds for Fortnite
Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf
In terms of amount of earnings, Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf is on top, thanks to winning the Fortnite World Cup Solo event in 2019, where he raked in $3 million. The idea of winning that much money from competitive gaming is staggering, and there’s no denying the hard work he put into it. Following this event, Bugha took third place at the FNCS: Chapter 2 Season 2 Grand Finals, and most recently earned fourth place during the FNCS: Chapter 2 Season 3 Grand Finals. His track record might not be as lengthy as some of the others on this list, but in terms of dollars earned, he’s unrivaled.
Turner “Tfue” Tenney
Next up is Turner “Tfue” Tenney, who has one of the most solid track records of any competitive player. After joining the FaZe Clan in 2018, Tfue placed seventh in the week 4 solo event as part of the Summer Skirmish, and second in the week 6 duos event. Later that year, during the Fall Skirmish, he won weeks 2 and week 4’s solo events, along with the $400,000 Duo Twitch Con Lan event. In 2019, Tfue’s success continued, as he took third place in Secret Skirmish Duos. He has qualified for the Fortnite World Cup on multiple occasions and even went on to win 2020’s Duo Cash Cup. He might not be the most consistent, but his track record proves he’s an incredible player.
Kyle “Mongraal” Jackson
Kyle “Mongraal” Jackson is one of the youngest players on this list and was only 13 when he began to pick up steam in 2018. In fact, after he qualified for the Winter Royale Semi Finals that year, Epic Games actually changed the age restriction from 16 to 13 to allow younger players to participate in Fortnite competitions. He took first place in Epic’s Share the Love Series, and after partnering with Mitr0 (who we’ll cover farther down), the duo steamrolled the competition, winning the Luxe Cup in 2019. He has also qualified for the Fortnite World Cup several times, which led to him taking sixth place during the World Cup in 2019. Mongraal is known for his uncanny ability to build quickly — which has no doubt helped him take home such high earnings.
Shane “EpikWhale” Cotton
Shane “EpikWhale” Cotton has become a millionaire and has done so by taking home numerous first-place victories across major Fortnite competitions. In 2019, EpikWhale earned third place in the Fortnite World Cup Finals Solo event, behind the legendary Bugha. He didn’t stop there, though, and subsequently went on to take first place in several FNCS events, including chapter 2 season 1’s week 2 and week 4 events and chapter 2 season 2’s week 2 and Grand Finals events. Most recently, EpikWhale won the NA West Bugha Throwback Cup, and in total has an impressive amount of earnings and overall number of victories in the competitive scene.
Benjy “Benjyfishy” Fish
Yet again, Benjy “Benjyfishy” Fish is another player with a long track record which has led to a hefty amount of earnings. Benjyfishy’s first major victory came in the Duo vs. Squad Tournament in 2019, where he and MrSavage earned a combined $22,000 for coming in first place. Following that, he took 14th place during the Fortnite World Cup Finals Duos event, where he earned $50,000 and then took first place in 2019’s FNCS: Season X week 2 event in Europe. Though many of Benjyfishy’s victories come from duo events, he also excels at playing solo, as shown by his recent winnings during the FNCS: Invitational events for weeks 1 and 2, where he snagged first place.
Cody “Clix” Conrod
Many have praised Cody “Clix” Conrod for his quick building abilities, but he excels overall as well. Similar to a lot of players on this list, Clix has an impressive number of competitive victories, most recently taking first place during the NA East Bugha Throwback Cup. Aside from that, he took home 18th place during the 2019 Fortnite World Cup Finals solo event, which might not sound like much, but his victory earned him $112,500. He then won Wednesday Wagers week 1 and week 2 in 2019 and later that year snatched another victory during the FNCS: Season X week 1 event. Needless to say, Clix is consistent and is a ton of fun to watch.
Christian “Fray” Hennig
One of the lesser-known players on this list is Christian “Fray” Hennig, who is insanely skilled, despite not having the number of victories during major tournaments as others. He has a unique playstyle that proves his strategies are deliberate, as he often outsmarts the competition. Fray was a finalist during DreamHack Winter and DreamHack Anaheim in 2019 and is known for streaming his sessions during competitions. This would normally make players tremendously nervous, but Fray says it doesn’t bother him. He’s an up-and-comer for sure, but even the lesser-known players deserve a spot on this list.
David “Aqua” Wang
Maintaining the trend of distinguished earners is David “Aqua” Wang, who has accumulated almost $2 million from Fortnite tournaments. His most significant achievement is earning first place during the Fortnite World Cup Finals Duos event in 2019, where he and his squadmate collected a combined $3 million. Aqua shines when playing as a team, as shown by his duos triumph during FNCS: Chapter 2 Season 2 European week four event, his Season X trios victory during Europe’s week three event, and the Grand Finals of the identical event as part of a trio. Playing as part of a team demands a distinct mindset than performing solo. While his solo track record isn’t as noble as others, he remains a crucial player in the competitive exhibition, thanks to his squad winnings.
Dmitri “Mitr0” Van de Vrie
Following Dmitri “Mitr0” Van de Vrie’s accomplishment during 2018’s Summer Skirmish, where he snagged many first-place conquests in duos, he also secured first place in solos and duos in the same year’s Fall Skirmish. Later on in 2019, he won first in the Luxe Cup, and he’s qualified for the Fortnite World Cup a total of three times, where he even scored sixth place in duos with Mongraal. When it comes to consistency, few players are more skilled than Mitr0, as proven by his many feats. Mitr0 then destroyed the opposition in solo matches and even shattered a world record earlier this year by defeating 33 players in the Solo Cash Cup.
Rocco “Saf” Morales
Lastly, Rocco “Saf” Morales is an outstanding player who has many notable victories, making him one of the most steady players included on this list. After acquiring first place during FNCS: Chapter 2 Season 2 in the NA East region, he proceeded to triumph in in numerous competitions, like 2019’s Secret Skirmish in duos and the Fortnite Summer Skirmish Week 3 event in NA, and he even took second place in Solos Secret Skirmish. Collectively, Saf has amassed more than $1 million from playing competitive Fortnite, demonstrating that he’s an undeniable beast of a player, both in solos and as a contributing member of a team.
