Epic Says Don't Expect Any Live In-Person Fortnite Events Next Year

If you were hoping to attend a live in-person Fortnite event next year, prepare to be disappointed. Epic Games has issued a statement on its 2021 esports plans, stating that it doesn't have any intentions of holding in-person events. The reason? You already guessed it. Companies remain uncertain about the future as the pandemic continues and case numbers skyrocket.

Many people had assumed the pandemic would be over by now, but that's obviously not the case. Some countries have effectively reduced the transmission rate enough to safely allow groups to gather in person, but the US isn't one of them.

The increasing case numbers and uncertainty about vaccine availability and use makes it difficult to plan for next year — will we be back out and about by next summer or will the pandemic still be an issue? No one knows, but it's clear the pandemic will stretch into next year.

As a result, many companies have already announced plans to stick with digital events in 2021, Epic now counted among them. The company says that it does intend to one day hold in-person esports tournaments, but that it has no plans to do so in 2021 due to uncertainty about whether it will be possible to do so safely and whether safe in-person events will even be practical.

The company said that at this point in time, players can expect the next Fortnite World Cup tournament to be digital. Epic also says that it will continue the FNCS competition in 2021 with the event kicking off on February 4. The date is, according to Epic, intended to give players a chance to familiarize themselves with the new map and game changes.