It’s official: Fortnite is now recognised as a high school and college sport thanks to a partnership between esports company PlayVS, and Epic Games.
Together the team will bring competitive league play to colleges and high schools with the aim of making esports as school-friendly as the likes of football and basketball.
Those looking to participate will be placed in a league, where they’ll then compete with other schools and colleges to try and scoop the big win in the popular battle royale game. “Any device” can be used to take part, but PlayVS notes that “players must still compete on campus with a coach.”
The first season of the league will begin in just a few weeks time, starting on March 2. Registration is open until February 17 for high schools, and February 24 for colleges and universities.
Players will be competing against each other in Duos mode, with the top teams scoring themselves an invite to the playoffs and the chance to win a place in the Fortnite Championship, which takes place in May.
It’s a somewhat controversial decision, as Fortnite has been heavily criticised amongst parents since it rocketed to fame almost two years ago. Epic Games came under fire for promoting what parents still see as an “addictive” game, which many believe is specifically aimed at younger players.
In a statement on the news, Delane Parnell, founder and CEO of PlayVS said: “Millions of people are already playing Fortnite – it’s become a part of culture. We hope adding the title to our game lineup and expanding platform access to colleges inspires the gamer in everyone to get involved in their school’s programs.
“Epic’s been an instrumental partner in our mission to create a scalable program with no limitations on participation, and we look forward to working with additional publishers to power our college programs.”
Featured Image Credit: Epic Games