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One of the biggest signs that eSports is becoming huge as an industry is not so much the sponsorship and the TV streaming deals, but the college scholarships that universities have started offering to potential athletes. Now, Fortnite Battle Royale is joining the prestigious list of video games wherein players can literally get free tuition money for higher education while still doing what they love.
Right now, the only institution to offer such a scholarship is Ohio’s Ashland University, Forbes reports. While it’s not exactly the most well-known college in the country and smaller universities like it have been accused of riding the wave of eSports’ rising popularity as a marketing stunt, there’s really no harm in what it is doing.
Free money is still free money, and if it can help players pursue higher education while still shooting 99 other people in a pixelated environment, why shouldn’t this be the case? That money is worth $4,000 and it will become available to players who make it through the tryout, the schedule of which should be announced sometime soon.
Choosing Fortnite as the main title to bet on as an eSports platform, however, is also a rather bold choice. While the game is massively popular, it’s time on the professional athletic scene is still relatively short. In comparison, Overwatch and Starcraft II are already established options.
As Variety points out in its exclusive report on the matter, however, the Battle Royale game by Epic Games is drawing the highest number of views on Twitch. Celebrity participation such as the hip-hop star Drake’s appearance on streamer Ninja’s channel has been fueling much of the fervor around the game that is already gaining global dominance.
In this regard, the university sees a great opportunity not only to market itself but also to draw in considerable interest from skilled participants. Of all the Battle Royale titles on the market right now, Fortnite has the biggest compatibility with the eSports format, after all.
