“The tournament vibes were incredible, as players either competed or cheered on their favorite gamers. Top 25 walked out with money, and the first-place winner walked out with a whopping $8,000.”
The sweet sound of a crowd cheering as your favorite Fortnite pro secures a victory royale is something I will never get used to. The interactions, the atmosphere, and the entertainment are all just a few things that made DreamHack's Dallas convention a weekend to remember.
DreamHack Dallas: The first major Fortnite LAN event pre-COVID
Following my first major LAN event, there are a lot of thoughts I have to provide. First let me say, DreamHack knows how to put on a show. Technical difficulties may have played their part in the event, but any problems were short-lived and fixed soon.
This event was a major win for the Fortnite community. With a $25,000 USD prize pool on the line, players were able to compete in a two-series Fortnite tournament.
Due to a few difficulties, the event had to start a bit later than planned, cutting it short a few games. 260 players anxiously waited for the show to start. After queuing into the first game, it was apparent that these gamers were ready to play.
The tournament followed a four-game qualification process. Top 95 at the end of the fourth game qualified for the finals, which was a five-game event. DreamHack last hosted an event in Dallas in 2019 and many thought the TO would return soon. However, the COVID pandemic forced the entire industry to pivot to an online landscape. As we head into the second half of 2023, esports is slowly returning to LAN events.
The event was broadcasted in two places. One was the DreamHack Twitch channel, and the other was on AussieAntic's Twitch channel. In fact, Aussie was given his own streaming booth to do a live viewing party.
The tournament vibes were incredible, as players either competed or cheered on their favorite gamers. Top 25 walked out with money, and the first-place winner walked out with a whopping $8,000.
Creators and pros come together to help make DreamHack memorable
Fortnite pros were not the only one that took the spotlight during this event. A lot of content creators within the Fortnite community also showed their faces at the event bringing in a lot of viewers and excitement.
Popular figures such as Arab, AussieAntics, MonsterDFace, and more made an appearance at DreamHack Dallas.
Even myself joined the crowd as one of the featured content creators. The entire event made for not only a great place to network, but also an opportunity to meet fans and friends.
Every single moment created was one that these gamers will remember forever, myself included. DreamHack did an amazing job setting up the event. The event ran from June 3 to 5 but the Fortnite event only took place on June 3.
Large creators across the board showed their faces this weekend, but my main focus was set on the Fortnite event.
The future of Fortnite LAN events is bright
Whether you are a Fortnite fan or not, you can not deny that this is an exciting feat for the esports community. The success of any large in-person esports event just helps set up the future for more.
DreamHack has a stacked roster for the rest of 2022, which includes events all over the world. The company plans to host conventions in Sweden, Atlanta, and more.
As of now, the only Fortnite DreamHack event currently announced is Sweden. This event takes place from June 18 through June 21 and consists of a $200,000 USD prize pool.
This experience overall was amazing and has me incredibly excited to see where Fortnite goes over these next few years as more and more in-person events take place.
Stay tuned to esports.gg for the latest Fortnite news and updates.