Fortnite’s newest NA Central servers are now live in-game. Here’s everything you need to know about the new addition.
Fortnite patch v23.40 confirmed a long-standing rumor that Epic Games had plans to open a new North American server. While the reason was previously unknown, the developers released a blog post today, explaining that North American tournaments beginning in Chapter 4 Season 2 will no longer occur on the separate NA West and NA East servers. Instead, all future Fortnite competitions will be exclusive to the new NA Central servers.
This decision also means that the previously split prize pools between NA West and NA East will be combined for 2023 and beyond. The implications of the NA Central servers are significant, and Esports.gg is here to break it down for you.
NA Central servers in Fortnite are official
Epic’s blog post says the NA Central server region delivers a more even playing ground for North America. This new “lower latency” concept mainly benefits Fortnite players in Mexico and the Central United States with the Amazon Web Services (AWS) server in Dallas, Texas.
“We worked with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to deliver this new server region located in Dallas, Texas, USA. The NA-Central server region is using AWS Local Zones to provide a low-latency experience for players in Mexico and the Central United States, with the experience being similar to those of players in the NA-East and NA-West server regions.”
Future Fortnite tournaments to be hosted on NA Central servers and not NA East or NA West
The essential news in the announcement revolves around the future of North American tournaments. Starting next season, all Epic Games official tournaments, including the FNCS Majors, Cash Cups, and more, will occur on NA Central servers. While players can still queue for competitions with NA East or NA West selected, they will be routed to the new server in Dallas, Texas.
Additionally, NA East and NA West will now combine into one massive prize pool, rivaling that of Europe. However, the overall prize money across 2023 remains $10 million. The new situation developing in North America could mean top players will consider relocating for the zero ping advantage.
Where is the new zero ping spot for North American players?
Many players in competitive Fortnite previously relocated to Virginia due to the presence of NA East servers. Virginia offered the best ping, also known as “zero ping,” which created a significant low latency advantage over elsewhere. Fortnite competitors from that region may relocate to Dallas, Texas, beginning in Chapter 4 Season 2.
That sentiment also applies to NA West players, considering they now must compete alongside the highly-regarded NA East region. Competitive Fortnite fans should expect an influx of players moving to Dallas, Texas, for the best NA Central ping advantage. Former NA West FNCS Champion Nathan “TSM Reet” Amundson has already tweeted that he’s planning a move to Texas.
It will be exciting to see NA West players Reet and EpikWhale compete against NA East competitors Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf and Cody “Clix” Conrod under one region. These outstanding talents will battle to prove which region was superior all along.
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