FNCS Major 1 2024: Every winner and best storylines

The first Fortnite Champion Series (FNCS) drew to a close late Sunday, with NA Central crowning the final champion of the weekend. Across two days, all six Fortnite competitive regions competed in FNCS Major 1 2024 for prize money, the Axe of Champions, and a chance to secure their seat at the FNCS Global Championship later this year. 

It was an incredible display as Fortnite reached promising viewership numbers while household names such as Mongraal, MrSavage, Clix, Bugha, and more looked to expand upon their legacy. Today, we bring you some of the best storylines and moments from the weekend that was. 

Malibuca and Merstach are a duo that dates back to Chapter 2, when the pair, alongside Shizogod, contested MrSavage and company for Steamy Stacks. Times have changed since then, and Malibuca and Merstach are often considered two of the best players in the world. 

That sentiment was displayed all weekend during the FNCS Major 1 2024 Grand Finals. After finishing day one in third place, Malibuca and Merstach were in the mix with many other teams. However, consistency and a points boost on day two opened the door for the duo. 

As game 12 ended, Malibuca and Merstach claimed the first spot atop the leaderboard, just one point ahead of GXR Queasy and Heroic Th0masHD. Despite not winning a match, Malibuca and Merstach's 649-point effort was just enough, and the two have punched their ticket to the Global Championship. 

Last year, the duo of Cold and Acorn were on the verge of splitting despite having won an FNCS together. However, Epic Games informed the two that was not an option due to the impending LAN, which may have been the best outcome possible. The North American tandem finished sixth twice in their next two Grand Finals before taking seventh at the FNCS Global Championship 2023. 

Fast forward to FNCS Major 1 2024, and Cold and Acorn delivered a dominant performance against NA's best teams. Cold and Acorn stood up to the challenge in a sea of players such as Peterbot, Pollo, Bugha, Clix, and EpikWhale. Cold and Acorn sat in third place with one Victory Royale and 305 points to close out day one. 

The two came alive on Championship Sunday, adding 593 points to their total. Additionally, Cold and Acorn earned two more Victory Royales, one of which was a victory lap in the final match. The two have acquired their second and third FNCS titles, with many more likely to follow. 

While we won't call this one of the best moments, it's worth addressing an issue that plagued the day one NA Central leaders — Eomzo and Rise. The two confidently entered the final day with an FNCS title in their crosshairs, but their story took an unexpected turn. 

They opened day two with a third and 15th in their first two matches, but internet issues afflicted the duo, causing them to miss games three and four. This untimely tragedy instantly bumped the Eomzo and Rise down the leaderboard, and it was too much ground to make up.

Eomzo took to Twitter, theorizing that someone intentionally caused their internet problems. Ultimately, the duo found themselves in eighth place despite being on the verge of winning.

Cody "Clix" Conrod is a name that transcends Fortnite, given his popularity on social media. However, he's still an outstanding talent knocking at the door of his first FNCS victory. Alongside duo partner EpikWhale, the two stuck together after a tough outing at the Global Championship. 

This weekend, Clix showed he is still atop the food chain while proving any doubters wrong. En route to a fourth-place finish in FNCS Major 1 2024, Clix dealt the most damage of any North American player. If a few situations swung in favor of this duo, Clix could have walked away victorious. The future is bright as the Fortnite star continues proving his place in the scene. 

On day two of FNCS Major 1 2024, two lesser-known names in the European scene, Marius and Sangild delivered a bounce back for the ages. The two found themselves in 39th on day one, which would net them just $3,000, but that's not quite how it ended for this resilient pair. 

Marius and Sangild opened day two with a Victory Royale, and it was all uphill from there. They improved from 70 to 563 points over their final six matches, bringing them from 39th to fourth on the leaderboard. That massive leap sent Marius and Sangild home with $40,000 each and solidified an unsung comeback by two underrated talents. 

Although the regions beyond Europe and North America are often overlooked, Middle East duo Kalgamer and 7man made history this past weekend. Having won FNCS Majors 2 and 3 last year, the pair just completed the three-peat, winning their third consecutive FNCS title. Dominance occurs more often in smaller regions, but the Middle East has a vastly underrated talent pool.

Kalgamer and 7man winning a third Axe of Champions is an incredible achievement, no matter how you look at it. However, a null result in game six of day two led Epic Games to host a seventh game. This situation wiped away a 29th-place finish for Kalgamer and 7man and replaced it with a third. This standout duo will compete in the Global Championship for the second straight year.

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