BY JACOB TRASK

When I go home in the evening, I play Fortnite. When my friends get home, they play Fortnite. Everyone that I know plays Fortnite. There literally isn’t a single college-aged guy who doesn’t play Fortnite. It’s the best and most popular game in the world right now. There’s no argument about it. The Hunger Games style, fight-to-the-death game has been the most played game in the nation for the last several months and has already established itself as one of the most intensely popular games in video game history.

If you don’t play Fortnite, you should. Not just because it’s seriously addictive, but also because you might be able to put some extra money in your wallet by doing it.

It’s one of the most unorthodox and entertaining ways to make a living and America’s youth is figuring out how to benefit from it through internet streaming and plain balling out at the game.

A popular 26-year-old gamer named Tyler Blevins, better known as Ninja, recently made headlines thanks to his ridiculous monthly salary of $560,000 that he earns by streaming his games on a popular streaming website called Twitch. He has 160,000 personal subscribers who are separate from four million others that follow him on the same platform. This is not to mention the money his videos generate on YouTube.

Another gamer named BigFoltz told Time Magazine that he makes six figures from Twitch, with half a million subscribers on the site, and over 300,000 on YouTube.

“It’s definitely changed my life,” BigFoltz said. “I used to live with my parents. Now I have a nice house, I drive a BMW.”

It may sound crazy, but anybody can make money through Fortnite. It’s not an easy road and it takes a lot of work, but kids all over the country are doing it, and you can too.

If you want to make money through Fortnite, you’re going to need an account on Twitch. Twitch is the place to be when streaming video games, and it’s where gamers are able to make the most money. The website is home to a new breed of internet stars, ranging from marginally popular to outrageously so. It’s hard to believe people actually find entertainment in watch others play video games, but millions of people log onto Twitch every day to watch their favorite virtual athletes.

To get started with streaming, you’re going to need a few things: a good computer, a high-bandwidth internet connection, streaming software and a microphone. Once you have those things and you’ve made your account on Twitch, you’re ready to start streaming.

Now your streaming fame isn’t going to come right away. Fortnite is not an easy game. There are many complicated layers within the gameplay, from the weapon variety to fort construction; from hiding from your enemies to running from the storm. The game requires many different kinds of skills and spatial awareness and it’s important to obtain a basic understanding of all of them if you’re going to have any chance at success.

If you find some success in online streaming and build an audience, you can enter tournaments. A gaming platform called The Esports Hub hosts 20 Fortnite tournaments a day. Several thousand gamers compete each week.

Participants on the hub pay money for credits and use those credits to participate in tournaments. The tournaments are mainly one-on-one or two-on-two, and winners of the tournaments can earn up to $200 with each win. BigFoltz told Time that he has friends who have on $10,000 in a week playing in tournaments.

BigFoltz also offered up advice that the difference between a good Fortnite player and a great one is their ability to build. With a brand new update, the game has added a fort-building grenade, which may make things a little more simple for less naturally gifted builders.

While it might not be a profession to boast about, Fortnite can be an effective way to earn some extra money. If you’re talented enough to gather an audience and you play your cards right, you might just find your way to internet fame and riches.

TIPS FOR PLAYING FORTNITE

• Building and gathering materials is one of the most important activities in the game. In a battle between an experienced builder and an inexperienced builder, the experienced builder will almost always come out on top.
• Guns are spread around the map and randomized, but the better guns you find around the map, the better off you’ll be in the game. Your ability to hide and stay aware of your surroundings is the most important aspect of the game in my opinion. Often times, waiting on the outskirts of the storm circle and hiding as you inch your way in can get you into the final three and leave you in the perfect position to make the final kills.
• Once you master each facet of the game, you should be ready to try and show off your skills. Remember, no one on Twitch is going to watch you play unless you can really play. The more solo wins you get, the better. The better the builder you are, the more interesting you will be to watch. If you play flashy, you’ll draw an audience. People want to see exciting gameplay, so you have to put on a show.

Jacob Trask can be reached at jacob.trask@theminaretonline.com