Professional Fortnite players npen, Ceice, and Fray discuss where they hope and think the competitive scene will be in 2023.
On the heels of the incredible FNCS Invitational 2022, the question remains; what's next for the Fortnite competitive scene in 2023? Epic Games reported a sold-out venue during the event, and viewership figures hovered above 300,000. It was a success on all counts, showcasing that Fortnite can still deliver an entertaining product.
Following a year of duos tournaments, many professional players believe Epic Games will revert to trios for the following year. However, Epic Games still needs to provide insight into the format or structure for 2023. Furthermore, we expect a major Fortnite Champion Series (FNCS) competition in January or February 2023, with Fortnite Chapter 4 arriving in early December.
Esports.gg had the chance to speak with active professional Fortnite players to see what they think will happen next and what they hope to see in 2023. Here's what these top competitors had to say.
Professional Fortnite player 'npen' explains what Epic's plan is for the future and what he hopes to see
NA East player npen has been in the Fortnite competitive scene for some time. Currently competing under Elite Esports, npen took 11th at last weekend's DreamHack Atlanta and attended the FNCS Invitational 2022 as an alternate.
We caught up with npen and asked him a few questions regarding competitive Fortnite's future. The top question asked about what npen would like to see from competitive Fortnite in 2023.
"I think a rotating FNCS game mode starting with trios would be the best," said npen. "Squads would not be in the mix, probably just trios, duos, and solos unless they [Epic] try some new obscure game mode that they come up with, kind of like no build."
Fortnite Chapter 2 began with rotating game modes each season; Squads in Chapter 2 Season 1, Duos in Chapter 2 Season 2, Solos in Chapter 2 Season 3, and Trios in Chapter 2 Season 4. Then, Epic decided to stick with one game mode for an entire year.
Next, we asked what npen believes Epic's plan is for the future after covering what he hopes to see.
"I don't think Epic is even 100% positive on what they'll do yet. I think based on feedback after this year and last, they've realized that a whole year of one game mode makes it hard for people to stay focused," he said. "When it was rotating game modes, people would play scrims consistently and try out new teammates to learn the meta and game mode. When it stays duos or trios, good teams don't have to put in as much effort because the meta doesn't change much."
Npen talks Fortnite Competitive formats and LANs in Chapter 4 & 2023
After discussing his hopes for game modes, npen explained the tournament formats he thinks we'll see in Fortnite Chapter 4.
"I think it'll be a Divisional Cup model with only one day of qualifiers, similar to FNCS Semis where it's worth it to play the end game and not w-key everyone. Two-day cups were a good idea on paper, but having a second day really just makes players who did bad on day one try to w-key everyone, so the games die out quicker."
Following the FNCS Invitational, esports.gg wanted to know how npen believes Epic Games will handle in-person Fortnite competitive events in 2023.
"I would like to see each FNCS Grand Finals in Europe and North America be a LAN, where they give NA West maybe 10% of the spots and NA East 90% of the spots. Then, each of the smaller regions continue to play online Grand Finals with a large invitational-type LAN at the end of the year, similar to the FNCS Invitational. If not, I hope at least an invitational-type LAN once or twice next year."
Npen provided a fascinating insight into what could be on the horizon in Fortnite. Returning to rotating game modes may keep the game fresh after a year of trios and a year of duos. Most would agree that the FNCS Grand Finals would elevate the tournaments in person.
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Fortnite World Cup finalist and veteran 'Ceice' hopes to see trios all next year
Next on the interview docket was professional Fortnite player Ceice, who competes in the NA East region. Ceice has been in competitive Fortnite since the beginning. He competed in various FNCS Finals and placed third at the Fortnite World Cup duos tournament.
Unlike npen, Ceice enjoys consistency in Fortnite. We asked him what he'd like to see from a game-mode standpoint in 2023.
"I hope it's trios next year and beyond! Trios is the best game mode for this game competitively."
As for the in-person event discussion, Ceice believes we will see FNCS tournaments run similarly to competitions in the golden days of Fortnite.
"I think we'll see FNCS tournaments run like old Skirmishes with one to two Epic LAN events. Then, of course, more DreamHack events. It seems like an overall solid upcoming year, which will fuel competitive Fortnite for years to come!"
The two NA East players have differing opinions about what they hope to see and think will happen next year in Fortnite Chapter 4.
European pro player 'Fray' predicts trios for an entire year, says solos would be a mistake
Esports.gg also spoke with European professional Fortnite player Fray, who made a name for himself at DreamHack LANs in Chapter 2. Fray is another veteran who has witnessed the evolution of Fortnite.
We asked the German player what he thinks Epic's move will be as we enter the next competitive Fortnite season in 2023.
"It will most likely be trios. We had duos for the whole year this year, so they 100% won't do that again. If they do solos for an entire year, everyone will quit, and I don't think they are ever doing squads again because people have gotten too good, so that leaves trios. I think the same game mode for a year is a lot more competitive, but rotating game modes is more fun. I'd like the same game mode more."
Fray added his hopes for future in-person events related to the seasonal Fortnite Champion Series (FNCS) product.
"I would love to have all FNCS tournaments in each region have a LAN. It could be with a lot lower production value, but having a LAN grand finals for each FNCS would be insane. However, I don't think that'll ever happen. I hope we see a huge World Cup next year with players all around the world qualifying."
So, what's actually next for competitive Fortnite in 2023?
Most professional players are preparing for a year of trios once again after duos took over in 2022. The three professional players we spoke to offered different perspectives on what they hope to see and expect next year. However, only Epic Games has the answers to the burning questions.
The success of the FNCS Invitational 2022 should surely mean Epic Games will host more in-person events in 2023. Players hope for large prize pools, solid community support, and another iteration of the Fortnite World Cup.
We hope to have answers to these questions following the launch of Fortnite Chapter 4 in early December.
Stay tuned to esports.gg for more Fortnite news and updates!
