Popular Fortnite content creator and Twitch streamer, Turner Tenney AKA Tfue recalls how many people have seen him compete in Fortnite competitions.
It’s no secret that competitive Fortnite Battle Royale was once the most-watched sporting event on the planet. Seasonal Skirmish events gave millions in prize money, and the Fortnite World Cup followed with a record-breaking $30 million USD prize pool—the second-highest in esports ever.
Although general interest in Fortnite has faded over time, tens of thousands of people still tune in to witness the seasonal Fortnite Champion Series (FNCS) competition.
However, viewership will almost certainly never match the peaks of Fortnite’s first World Cup Qualifiers or early FNCS events. For a long time, Tyler Blevins AKA Ninja and Turner Tenney AKA Tfue were the faces of Fortnite. In reaction to an outstanding statistics chart demonstrating how high his audience was during Fortnite’s peak competitive days, the latter turned to Twitter and replied in shock.
While he has already gone on to other games, he unquestionably belongs on Fortnite Battle Royale’s Mount Rushmore. The always-informative Twitter account @FNCompData shared a chart illustrating the top 40 most-watched Fortnite tournament POVs.Not only does Tfue own four of the top four slots, but he also has 26 of the top 40 spots. Given how popular Fortnite was in 2018 and 2019, the figure is remarkable. Everyone joined in on the excitement, but Tfue gained prominence as a streaming phenomenon during its peak.
The top five outcomes aren’t all that unexpected. Tfue’s popularity increased during the Fortnite World Cup Qualifiers when he aimed to join an elite group of players who had reached both the Solo and Duo Finals. In Week 8 of the Qualifiers, Tfue reached a high of over 289K viewers. He and his long-time duet partner Dennis “Cloakzy” Lepore came close to earning their position, but ultimately finished in 22nd place.
In Week 6, Tfue and Cloakzy wanted to punch their ticket, and the same narrative played out. Tfue drew more than 235K views at its peak, but the former FaZe Clan pair failed to qualify on their third try. The third-place finisher falls into the same category as Tfue and Cloakzy’s World Cup trip. Their second attempt ended in a sixth-place finish, leaving them four points short. Fans stayed tuned in for several weeks as this interesting scenario unfolded, and it was some of the most exciting video competitions Fortnite had to offer.
While Tfue is without a doubt the most prominent name on the list, there are a few other famous names as well. Ninja, Tfue’s sworn competitor, ranked fifth with roughly 215K viewers during the 2018 Summer Skirmish, in which he ended 14th. Ninja was the most well-known streamer at the time, and he was highly consistent in his own right. Tfue comes on the list a couple more times, but his steady competitive career gave him the advantage.
Solary, Kyle Jackson AKA Mongraal, and Benjy Fish AKA Benjyfishy all from Europe, also made the top 40. Solary, a French esports company, once hosted some great talent. In Fortnite, Mongraal and Benjy are two European legends. It’s worth noting that none of these events took place until Fortnite Chapter 2 – Season 5, which came in last on the list. The majority of the content is from the Fortnite World Cup and earlier, with Season X, Chapter 2 – Season 2 and Chapter 2 – Season 4 thrown in for good measure.
This graph, if nothing else, demonstrates how famous Fornite was from launch until about Season X. Tfue, Ninja, Mongraal, amongst many other players were pouring their hearts and souls into the game, and it was a thrilling time to witness. The environment of Fortnite has significantly changed in recent years. While it remains a popular game on Twitch, the game’s creators have moved on to other projects. Nonetheless, it was a turning point in gaming and streaming, and FNCompData’s data visualization shows the influence Fortnite had on casual and competitive gaming.