The highest-earning Fortnite players in the United States have been revealed. Here’s how some of the best players stack up against each other.
It’s no secret that the esports industry is a particularly lucrative industry. A new study from Solitaired only bolsters this fact by revealing the highest paid players in the United States. Fortnite in particular often elicits some surprising reactions from the general public, largely due to the young ages of some of the game’s top competitors, even by esports standards. These professionals are the ones who find themselves making over a million dollars in profits – some before they are old enough to drink.
The study focuses solely on the earnings of these players, without taking into account revenue earned from sponsorships or other sources, such as broadcasting. With that in mind, here are the top five earning Fortnite players in the United States.
Sitting comfortably as not only the highest-earning player in Fortnite, but the highest-earning player in all respects, is Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf.
Bugha rose to Fortnite fame after winning his first Fortnite World Cup solos in 2019 at just 16 years old. Bugha competed as a member of the esports organization Sentinels, receiving $3 million in prize money and a place in Fortnite history. He continues to play Fortnite, regularly broadcasting the game on both Twitch and YouTube to his 5.1 million and 4.2 million followers respectively.
Today was already today… 🏆
– bugha July 28, 2019
Entering into second place is Harrion “Psalm” Chang who previously played for Counter Logic Gaming before announcing his retirement in 2020. The Psalm also found fame during the 2019 Fortnite World Cup, coming in second to Bugha during one-on-one matches. As a runner-up, Psalm took home $1.8 million in prize money from the World Cup.
These days, Psalm can be seen streaming Apex Legends and Valorant on his Twitch channel.
Shane “EpikWhale” Cotton is creeping into third place, having earned more than $1.3 million in Fortnite. EpikWhale currently plays for TSM in North America, having joined last week on June 3.
EpikWhale earned the majority of his wins as part of NRG Esports, often competing alongside fellow Duo teammate Diego “Arkhram” Lima. The professional finished third in the Fortnite World Cup 2019 for Solos, earning $1,200,000.
join TSM 😈😈😈 pic.twitter.com/kkzJ3U6MlF
– TSM FTX EpikWhale (EpikWhale) June 3, 2022
Number four is Nate “Kreo” Kou who most recently played for TheCartel Esports.NA before the team was disbanded in February 2022. Back in 2020, Kreo received a 60-day suspension after Allegations have been made For his participation in team work during the Fortnite Champion Series.
Kreo placed fourth in the Fortnite World Cup in 2019 for solos, taking home $1,050,000 in prize money.
The top five pool is retired professional Fortnite player Rocco “Save” Morales. Saf is the only player in the top five who did not compete in singles matches for the Fortnite World Cup in 2019, competing instead in doubles alongside Williams “Zayt” Aubin. The pair finished fourth at the 2019 World Cup, taking home $1.5 million in prize money.
Saf took first place in FNCS: Season X Week 2: North America East last month, along with Zayt and Brian “Zyfa” Wielgolaski, earning $20,000.
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