Riot Games Head of Esports Does Not See Fortnite and PUBG As Threats

Fortnite Battle Royale and Player Unknowns Battelgrounds (PUBG) have become two of the most popular competitive titles in the video game world with the unprecedented rise of the battle royale genre. However, even with the massive growth in popularity, the two titles have yet to fully break into the esports industry as true contenders to the likes of MOBA giant League of Legends.

It is important to note that it has not been for a lack of trying, as the parent company of Epic Games, Tencent, is set to invest millions of dollars to the development of an esports scene for the title, while popular Fortnite streamer Tyler "Ninja" Belvins recently hosted a LAN event for the title in Ninja Vegas '18 that brought in 680,000 viewers at one point.

PUBG has also been hard at work developing an established esports scene with well known tournament organizers ESL and PGL both having organized massive international tournaments, and the popular battle royale title's developer PUBG Corp. having announced the PUBG Global Invitational that will see 20 teams compete for a share of a $2 million prize pool in Berlin, Germany this summer. 

Even though both titles are working to develop an esports scene, they are both seen as being far away from being able to challenge the likes of esports giant League of Legends in the industry, as the MOBA is one of the top titles in professional gaming with multiple established leagues, guaranteed player salaries and more. In a recent interview with Forbes, Head of North American Esports at Riot Games Chris "RiotHopper" Hopper explained why he believes that Fortnite and PUBG are currently not a threat to League of Legends as esports titles. 

"Well, within Riot, both games have definitely captivated their fair share of my colleagues, as well as the wider player base, which has rocketed Fortnite up the Twitch charts, so as a gamer, I love to see new titles like that which explore and push the boundary of genres like FPS or survival, but in terms of their viability as an esport, I think it’s yet to be proven," said Hopper. "Some early tournaments have certainly been exciting, but there’s a long way to go to turn a title from a Twitch favorite into a permanent esport. To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with a title throwing a few tournaments and burning bright before failing to establish a sustainable esports scene, and it’s yet to be seen whether Fortnite or PUBG will be able to make that step. But until they become consistent, accessible, sustainable leagues, they’re more on my gamer radar than my esport radar."

Fortnite and PUBG still have a great deal of work to do in order for the battle royale genre to compete in the esports industry with the likes of League of Legends. However, Tencent also owns Riot Games and is motivated to help develop and sustain a top tier esports scene for Fortnite in the same way it has for League of Legends, while PUBG Corp.'s strong commitment to the development of its title's professional scene also points to a promising future for the game in the world of esports.  

(cover photo courtesy of LoL Esports)