Game developer and publisher Epic Games has announced the FNCS Invitational 2022 Fortnite tournament, the game’s first LAN event since 2019.
Taking place November 12th-13th in Raleigh, United States, the one-off Duos invitational tournament will feature a $1m (~£790,000) prize pool.
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The FNCS Invitational will see a selection of top FNCS Duos from around the world compete in a single lobby. It marks Fortnite’s first major LAN event since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The in-person event — the first since the 2019 Fortnite World Cup — falls under the FNCS (Fortnite Championship Series) brand, but is separate from the title’s main FNCS circuit.
The Invitational will be produced by BLAST. In February, BLAST signed a deal with Fortnite to produce the entire FNCS broadcast schedule throughout 2022.
It comes after BLAST revealed its brand new Fortnite set, revealed live from BLAST’s Copenhagen studio. BLAST has recently massively expanded its services, branching out from its initial exclusive focus on CS:GO to produce both Fortnite and FIFA events.
In a post on social media, BLAST said: “[We’re] passionate about levelling up esports and has been delighted to do this with FNCS over the last 12 months, with more to come. The reveal of this amazing new set was another major milestone in our journey, with the Finals taking place this weekend!”
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Epic Games noted that while the FNCS Invitational 2022 is planned to be in-person, this is subject to changes in public health trends and regional laws and recommendations.
Esports Insider says: Epic has chosen this standalone event to debut Fortnite’s LAN return — perhaps a trial before the wider circuit also sees a return to in-person events. It’s nice to see BLAST finally have the chance to organise in-person Fortnite events following its deal in February.