The Fortnite Champion Series Chapter 2 - Season 1 Grand Finals
The Fortnite Champion Series Chapter 2 - Season 1 Grand Finals was a must-watch event for Fortnite fans. If you did miss it, don’t worry, here at GGRecon, we’ve provided you with an in-depth recap of the event.
On Friday and Saturday, Fortnite players from around the world competed in qualifying rounds called “heats” for their chance at a spot in the Grand Finals and a piece of the $5M prize pool. Each region — North America East (NAE), North America West (NAW), Europe and Brazil — hosted four heats, with a total of 96 teams competing in each region. The top six teams in each heat moved on to their regions’ Grand Finals, held Sunday, December 8th.
We saw squads comprised of Fortnite “OGs” like Ninja and Tfue face-off against young, rising stars such as yung calculator and Clix. Almost all of the big-name squads qualified for the Grand Finals; a testament to the work they’ve put in and further proof of why they’re considered the best in the game.
CHAPTER 2 - SEASON 1 EUROPE GRAND FINALS (11 AM - 2 PM EST)
The Grand Finals started with the Europe region. The first match kicked off at 11 AM EST and saw the squad of Shaka, Gemz, JulianCoM and MinZho jump out to an early lead. In Match Two, fan-favorites benjyfishy, Mongraal, Nayte and Wolfiez stormed back — claiming second place with a 13-elimination Victory Royale. Match Three had the Solary x LeStream team of Airwaks, Skite, Vato and Nikof take the lead. Halfway through the Grand Finals, this squad held an impressive 19-point lead over second place, but their lead would not last long. The squad of RedRush, drobbaan, znappy and wakie went off in Game Four, with a total of 18 eliminations to go, along with a Victory Royale. This outstanding effort launched them into first place and gave them a lead they would not relinquish.
The first set of matches in the Grand Finals was not without controversy. 4zr and DRG were unable to load into the last match of the Grand Finals, along with nine other players. This effectively eliminated any chance these players had of winning and surely altered how the match played out. This unfortunate situation put a nasty stain on an otherwise great round of matches.
The final results of the Europe Grand Finals were as follows:
1st - RedRush, drobbaan, znappy and wakie - $300K USD
2nd - benjyfishy, Mongraal, Nayte and Wolfiez - $120K USD
3rd – Airwaks, Skite, Vato and Nikof - $96K USD
CHAPTER 2 - SEASON 1 NA EAST GRAND FINALS (3 PM - 6 PM EST)
At 3 PM EST the qualifying competitors from the Na East fought for the title of Chapter 2 - Season 1 Grand Champs. TSM’s squad of ZexRow, Vinny, Mackwood plus yung calculator started right where they left off Saturday, dominating Match One with 19 eliminations and the win. Match Two saw Tfue and cloakzy’s team walk away with the Victory Royale, bringing them up to fifth place. In Match Four, the squad of Zayt, Saf, HighSky and Commandment produced a 15-elimination victory.
It is important to note that Victory Royales are not the be-all-and-end-all in this tournament format. The squad of UnknownxArmy, Kez, Ronaldo, and Avery had a whopping 74 points through four matches, all without a single win. Their consistent eliminations and placement points helped to give them a seemingly insurmountable 23-point lead over second place. With two matches left, ZexRow’s squad decided they were going to make things interesting. In Match Five they popped off for 14 eliminations and a Victory Royale — giving them a one-point lead going into the final match. The favorites could not hang on. UnknownxArmy and his squad fought back to regain their hold on first place and earn themselves $187.5K USD.
Ninja’s squad was relatively quiet on the day but still managed to secure a seventh-place finish. While respectable, I’m sure that they themselves, as well as the community, had higher hopes. ZexRow and his squad of Vinny, Mackwood, and yung calculator absolutely dominated from start to finish. They finished with the most total eliminations in their heat and carried that success over to today. Their slaying ability as a squad is unmatched and we will certainly continue to see their names atop the standings at future events. Perhaps most impressive of all, UnknownxArmy had a stunning 43% of his team’s eliminations. This tremendous solo performance solidifies him as one of the best competitive players in the game.
The final results of the North America East Grand Finals were as follows:
1st - UnknownxArmy, Kez, Ronaldo and Avery - $187.5K USD
2nd - ZexRow, Vinny, Mackwood and yung calculator - $75K USD
3rd - Megga, Dubs, Bizzle and Eclipsae - $60K USD
CHAPTER 2 - SEASON 1 BRAZIL GRAND FINALS (3 PM - 6 PM EST)
The Brazil Grand Finals turned into a two-team show. From the first match at 3 PM EST, first place was a contest between two squads, everyone else was fighting for third place. The heavy favorites of leleo, kurтz, wisheydp, and king battled back and forth with the squad of shecoboy, Lasers, Igo, and psychø!.
Many predicted leleo’s squad to take the title of Grand Champions. They ran through the qualifiers and the heats with ease and looked prepared to carry that success into the Grand Finals. Laser’s squad had different plans. These two teams came away with a remarkable two Victory Royales each. The deciding factor was each squad’s ability to rack up eliminations. Laser and company averaged over 10 eliminations per match — almost double any other squad in the Brazil Grand Finals. Laser’s squad walked away with the upset and $75K USD in prize money.
The final results of the Brazil Grand Finals were as follows:
1st - shecoboy, Lasers, Igo and psychø! - $75K USD
2nd - leleo, kurтz, wisheydp and king - $30K USD
3rd - mstzera, estevin, GusTavox8 and gørdiNN - $24K USD
CHAPTER 2 - SEASON 1 NA WEST GRAND FINALS (7 PM - 10 PM EST)
The day wrapped up with the North America West Grand Finals. While not as many big-names as the NA East, the West is still home to some familiar faces.
Jaomock and his squad took Match One with a meager seven eliminations. Match Two was the start of one of the most impressive runs in competitive Fortnite history. Sogys, Kyzui, Domo and Vicaros took game two with 14 eliminations. In Match Four, this same squad earned another Victory Royale; and they didn’t stop there. Sogys and his team won Game Five to make it back-to-back Victory Royales for a total of three in the grand finals. Their efforts netted them a sweet $75K USD.
While the NA West favorites of rehx, EpikWhale, Edgey and Cented did not secure any Victory Royales, they earned enough eliminations and placement points for a second-place finish. While EpikWhale’s team’s consistency throughout the FNCS was impressive, the squad of Sogy, Kyzui, Domo, and Vicaros winning three out of the six total matches overshadowed everything else. Bearing witness to such an ascendant performance was a great way to cap off the Grand Finals.
The final results of the NA West Grand Finals were as follows:
1st - Sogy, Kyzui, Domo and Vicaros - $75K USD
2nd - rehx, EpikWhale, Edgey and Cented - $30K USD
3rd - byelies, spideyy, HaanzeR and prodigy! - $24K USD
The FNCS Grand Finals provided fans with an exciting day of competitive Fortnite gameplay. Stay tuned to GGRecon for analysis and recaps of future competitive Fortnite events.
Image credit: Epic Games
