Pro Fortnite gaming team signs 13-year-old Brit ‘Mongraal’ to compete in tournaments
AS FORTNITE takes baby steps into the billion-dollar world of competitive gaming, a pro team has made the natural move of recruiting a 13-year-old to play on the big stage.
British teen Kyle 'Mongraal' Jackson is one of the youngest players ever to be recruited by a professional squad after getting snapped up (alongside three other fresh faces) by Team Secret, best known for competing in PC game Dota 2.
And with Fortnite set to conquer eSports leagues everywhere, Jackson could well be on his way to becoming a multi-millionaire.
But he needed permission from his mum and dad first.
"It's a big opportunity for me, and I sat them down and explained everything that could happen,"said Jackson.
"I discussed it with them thoroughly, and they're very supportive of everything."
For those who aren't down with the kids, Fortnite sees 100 players scrapping to the death in a massive, last-man standing battle royale.
The game, which is available on PS4, Xbox One, PC and iPhone, has already amassed 40 million downloads and smashed Twitch and YouTube livestreaming records.
It's also hugely popular with young'uns, with recent reports suggesting kids in the US are playing the game in class and skipping homework to join their friends online.
Jackson said he started on adult-oriented video games at age nine with the Call of Duty series.
He got into the battle royale genre through PC title H1Z1 and then switched to Fortnite at the recommendation of his mates.
"And I just fell in love," he said, "the building mechanisms, how big the skill gap is with building, is just unreal."
Jackson isn't the youngest pro-gamer ever though, that distinction goes to Starcraft player Jun "TY" Tae Yang, who was reportedly scopped by WeMade FOX at the age of 12 in 2006.
Team Secret's CEO John Yao said he wasn't even aware of the Brit's age when he signed him up.
"I actually had no idea he was 13 until the team told me," Yao told ESPN.
"Because when we looked at some of the videos and we looked at their game play, it was not apparent. What immediately stood out to me was how mature he was, and he sounded just like one of the other guys."
Fortnite is emerging as a major contender on the eSports scene, thanks in part to Chinese tech investment giant Tencent's recent decision to pour $15 million into making it a competitive gaming behemoth.
Meanwhile Twitch's most popular streamer (and Drake's best mate) Ninja just hosted a Fortnite tournament at the newly opened Esports Arena in Las Vegas.
A record-breaking peak audience of 660,000 concurrent viewers tuned in to watch the action.
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