Ninja Partners with Red Bull for New ‘Fortnite’ Tournament, Spots Sold Out

Few examples of video game industry phenomena can rival what Twitch streamer Ninja and “Fortnite Battle Royale” have shown. The two entities have become practically inseparable, and this is evidenced by the many momentous occasions involving them. In a recent announcement, the streamer, whose real name is Tyler Blevins, revealed that he is holding another tournament in partnership with Red Bull. Spots apparently sold out shortly afterward, but publications have noticed something curious about the event.

Called Red Bull Rise Till Dawn, the tournament will be a duos setup, where Ninja will be teaming up with another player to face down 98 other combatants. It will be a two-day event, starting on July 21 and ending the following day. It will be held on the 99th floor of the Willis Tower in Chicago.

Some details are still unclear, but what PC Gamer and many other publications noticed was that the tournament prize didn’t seem to fit the elements surrounding it. First prize will apparently be worth only $2,250, which is a pittance compared to the $1 million from the recently concluded E3 Fortnite Pro Am. Granted, that event was sponsored by Epic Games, but Red Bull is no small potatoes either.

There’s also the fact that the scheduled start time of the event is at 8:21 p.m., which is apparently when the sun will set on that day. The event will then end at 5:35 a.m. the next day.

These are curious stipulations, the reasoning for which remains a mystery. Perhaps in time, additional information can shed some light on what the people planning the event truly have up their sleeves.

Fans of the streamer and the game didn’t seem to mind these tidbits, however, as they hurriedly scrambled to book a spot for the tournament. Their enthusiasm was such that the event sold out in just a matter of hours, Forbes reports.

Considering how in-demand Ninja and “Fortnite” tournaments are, right now, this isn’t likely to be the last event of its kind. However, it does serve to show just how much energy the combination is producing.