# Million Dollar Gaming Tournaments The Fortnite Winter Royale Tournament is Open to Regular Players By Justin Lam | Published 2018-11-21 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fortnite-winter-royale References: [theverge](https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/20/18104665/fortnite-winter-royale-tournament-esports-registration-open) & [polygon](https://www.polygon.com/fortnite/2018/11/20/18104814/fortnite-winter-royale-open-tournament-schedule) Fortnite tournaments with cash prizes are generally restricted to pros or other invited players, but the upcoming Fortnite Winter Royale will introduce a one million dollar tournament for all players. According to Epix, the competition will be split up into two phases: qualifiers and finals. Both phases will be restricted to specific regions, NA and EU, and the top performers from these regions will be invited to the finals and will be eligible to win the grand prize. According to Epic "While this tournament will be restricted to NA and EU, we’re planning on holding other region-specific tournaments in additional regions in the near future.” The Fortnite Winter Royale tournament will serve as a test for the upcoming Fortnite World Cup in 2019. Image Credit: Epic Games ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.6/10 - Popularity: 16% | Activity: 25% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Gen Alpha, Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) > [Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/games) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Open-to-all Tournaments:** Opportunity for businesses to organize open-to-all tournaments and attract a larger audience beyond professional gamers. - **Region-specific Tournaments:** Potential to host region-specific tournaments globally, creating a platform for local gamers to showcase their talent and win big. - **Integration of Gaming and Sports:** Opportunity for organizations to integrate gaming and sports and offer larger prizes, creating a global gaming and sports culture. ### Who This Affects Most - **Gaming:** Gaming companies can organize tournaments that are open-to-all and region-specific, revolutionizing the gaming industry as a whole. - **E-commerce:** E-commerce platforms can create partnerships with gaming companies to offer more exclusive gaming gear and merchandise to a growing gamer audience. - **Sponsorship and Advertising:** Sponsorship and advertising opportunities for businesses to align with the growing gaming culture and reach an audience of young, tech-savvy consumers. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Professional Battle Royale Events](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/activision.md) - [Debut Competitive Esports Tournaments](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-finals.md) - [Creator-Backed Esports Tournaments](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ishowspeed.md) - [Co-Branded Game Tournaments](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/stranger-things-cup.md) - [Online Multiplayer Game Championships](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mythic-dungeon-international.md) - [Youth-Focused Game Tournaments](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/inter-milan-2.md) - [Battle Royale Tournaments](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/apex-legends-global-series.md) - [Women-Only Esports Tournaments](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/galaxy-racer-1.md) - [Esports Cinema Viewings](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fornite-pro-am-2025.md)