ESTNN breaks down everything we know thus far about FNCS Chapter 2 - Season 5.
Epic Games just dropped a giant bombshell, revealing that they've allocated $20M USD to Fortnite's flagship seasonal Champion Series competition. Chapter 2 - Season 5 will begin what could be one of the best competitive seasons to date. Although the shotgun meta is questionable, Epic has unveiled changes to the current loot pool for balancing and fairness purposes. Ready or not, FNCS Chapter 2 - Season 5 is around the corner. Professional players worldwide are working tirelessly to develop team chemistry and understand this season's keys to victory.
There's a lot to love about competitive Fortnite in 2021 based on Epic Games' recent blog post. FNCS Chapter 2 - Season 5 will reach a more global audience, and it's now a cross-platform competition, meaning PC, console and mobile players will all compete in the same tournament. As the developers continue to fine-tune the Fortnite Champion Series, there have been loot pool, qualification and format changes. Let's see what FNCS Chapter 2 - Season 5 will look like ahead of the qualifiers' first round.
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FNCS Chapter 2 - Season 5 Format
As mentioned in Epic Games' early-December competitive update, the FNCS format will remain trios through all of 2021. The developers are attempting to standardize Fortnite tournaments in hopes of providing stability and continuity. FNCS Chapter 2 - Season 5 follows the same requirements as in the past, players must reach Champion Division in Arena Mode to gain eligibility for this tournament. This season's FNCS features three qualifiers leading into the Semi-Finals and a 'last chance' Reboot Round, which Epic introduced in Season 4. Here are the significant format changes from previous FNCS events to this one, as explained in Fortnite's latest blog:
Players will compete in a single cross-platform player pool. This allows players on multiple platforms to play together as teammates.
Weekly Qualifiers will have an additional Round to pare down to the final lobby more gradually. See details below.
Once qualified to the Semi-Finals, teams will be locked and not be able to play in additional Qualifiers. This means if a team directly qualifies to the Semi-Finals in Week 1, that team won't be able to influence Week 2 or Week 3's Qualifiers.
Finals Format
Semi-Finals and Finals will be played out on separate weekends to better manage both player fatigue and tournament operations.
All prizes have been shifted to the Finals.
The top three teams from each region's Finals will auto-qualify for the next season's FNCS Finals. Note: This change requires that all three members of the team remain together during the next season.
FNCS Champions and other consistent top performers will earn the opportunity to be invited to the mid and end-of-year prize competitions.
Slightly different scoring formats for single lobby vs. multiple lobby gameplay, to account for increased level of competition and the increased challenge of obtaining eliminations in the later stages.
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Now let's quickly break down the entire tournament process beginning with FNCS Qualifiers through the Grand Finals.
Qualifiers
- Three weeks of qualifiers
- Four rounds per qualifier
- First Round - Opens
- Second Round - Top 1,500 teams compete
- Third Round - Top 250 teams compete
- Fourth Round - Top 33 teams compete
- The top 10 teams each week (30 in total) advance to the Semi-Finals
- Series points determine the remaining 102 semifinalists
Semi-Finals
- Four groups (heats)
- 33 teams per group
- The top eight from each move to the Grand Finals
- Those who don't advance compete in the Reboot Round
Reboot Round
- One single game
- The winner of each region's Reboot Round match reaches the Grand Finals
Grand Finals
- 33 teams
- Two days
- 12 matches total
- The top three teams from each region automatically qualify for FNCS Chapter 2 - Season 6
FNCS Chapter 2 - Season 5 Scoring System
Check back soon for more information on this season's scoring system.
FNCS Chapter 2 - Season 5 Prize Pool
Epic Games broke the bank, committing $20M USD to FNCS tournaments in 2021. The developers are allocating $3M USD to each seasonal Fortnite Champion Series competition. Players can only make money in the Grand Finals of each region, so qualifying is imperative. Let's take a look at the prize pool breakdown per region:
- Europe - $1.35 million
- NA East - $690K
- NA West - $300K
- Brazil - $300K
- Asia - $150K
- Middle East - $120K
- Oceania - $90K
FNCS Chapter 2 - Season 5 Schedule
The action this season kicks off on February 4. Epic will likely release a more fine-tuned broadcast program in the days leading up to Qualifier 1. Here is the tentative schedule for FNCS Chapter 2 - Season 5:
- First Qualifier: February 4-7
- Second Qualifier: February 11-14
- Third Qualifier: February 18-21
- Bye Week: February 25-28
- Semi-Finals: March 5-7
- Reboot Round: March 12 & 13
- Finals: March 12-14
We expect a lot more details to come through in the next few weeks. However, this is a jumping-off point for what might be a top-notch year for competitive Fortnite. Stay tuned to this article and more from ESTNN regarding Fortnite tournaments in 2021.
Featured Image: Epic Games
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