Fortnite has a huge weekend ahead. The Fortnite Championship Series (FNCS) Invitational will unfold live in Raleigh, North Carolina on November 12 and 13. The Duos tourney will not only be the first in-person Fortnite event since the COVID-19 pandemic stalled such gatherings for a few years, it'll also be streamed around the world, of course. With 50 teams full of rising stars and former winners colliding in one chaotic weekend, we reached out to several of the experts covering the event to put some context behind the event's biggest names, take predictions, and offer a few tips for players, like me, who aren't (yet) good enough to compete on Fortnite's biggest stage.
Speaking with a caster, an analyst, and a host for the upcoming tournament, we were able to get a well-rounded view of the event in this period of calm before the inevitable storm that will be the FNCS Invitational 2022. Let's meet our experts.
Javier: My name is Javier Collazo, and I go by the online alias "MonsterDface." I started my journey into esports as a player in 2012 and since then have branched into professional commentary and now operate my own esports production company, the Practice Server.
My history with Fortnite started with the game's Battle Royale release in 2017. I immediately fell in love with how different the universe was. It wasn't long before I found myself leading the push with educational content on YouTube, and then receiving an invitation to cast my first Fortnite tournament. It was at that moment I knew what my career would be.
Noah: My name is Noah, also known as “Vivid,” and I am currently an analyst for the Fortnite Competitive broadcast and have been for almost two years now.
Prior to that, I primarily played Fortnite competitively whilst also streaming and creating content. During my time competing I played and practiced very intensely and ultimately won several events and even played in the Fortnite World Cup that took place in 2019. As a result of said experience competing, I now take great pride in trying to bring the best insight into what players are possibly thinking throughout the competitions that take place.
The upcoming FNCS Invitational 2022--it being a global event, the first in-person event hosted by Epic in 3 years, and having a live audience--is bringing all the hype and I cannot wait to be a part of it.
Kelly: I'm Kelly Link, also known as HelloKellyLink online. I've been hosting esports events for almost a decade now and started working on Fortnite tournaments back in 2020.
In your opinion, who are the five players to watch out for in the FNCS Invitational 2022?
Pick 1
Javier: Bugha and Mero. Bugha and Mero have this edge over the competition. Not only have they been one of the most consistent duos to rise out of the most recent Chapter, but they also have done so uncontested. With Bugha and Mero also having a large amount of LAN experience they are an easy shoo-in pick for me. Don't forget, Mero also has one of the most ridiculous streaks of online tournament performances, finishing in first place or better in his last seven FNCS tournaments, including four victories.
Noah: Bugha, in my opinion, is at the top of the list of players to look out for coming into the FNCS Invitational. Currently, he is on an incredible competitive run as he has placed top three in the last five FNCS tournaments, with three of those being wins! His competitive prowess does not stop at FNCS though as his most impressive and biggest accomplishment ever was winning the Solos Fortnite World Cup.
Teaming up with Mero, who has five FNCS wins himself, Bugha is looking to further solidify himself as the best player in the world as winning two international events at this level would undeniably earn him that title.
Competitively staying on top for Bugha is all about how well he plays the game and can adapt to any meta. Bugha’s rotations throughout the mid-game are some of the best in the world and never fail to put him and his team in a great position to get into the end game. End game is arguably where he shines as when he makes it there, he always finds a way into the top 10 of the lobby. The solo clutch potential that Bugha and Mero have is what carries a lot of these competitive runs as well, as where many would fail to place any higher, Bugha, and his teammate Mero, always seem to put up extra points when the odds are against them.
Kelly: Bugha and Mero are absolutely unstoppable. They won back to back to back FNCS titles between the end of Chapter 2 and start of Chapter 3. Even when they "underperform" they are still at the top of the leaderboard. In the most recent season of the FNCS they placed second, missing first by just a single point. Their mechanical ability paired with their situational awareness is unrivaled and many will be looking to them to win the whole thing.
Pick 2
Javier: Kami and Setty. Kami and Setty are outliers that exist within our Fortnite ecosystem. Here we have two players who have, for several seasons, innovated drop spots around the Fortnite world as we know it. They typically call them the “Kami split” and it usually goes uncontested. This is a team that is quick to adapt to the meta and constantly practice to keep that winning edge.
Noah: The Brazilian talent, K1ng, is someone that I am very interested in seeing how they perform at the FNCS Invitational. Whilst the previously mentioned Bugha won the trophy at the World Cup, at the end of the day it was K1ng who had the hearts of everyone during the games.
K1ng came out swinging at the World Cup and played an extremely aggressive playstyle that was very exciting to watch. K1ng ended up placing 5th overall but for sure had everyone convinced that he was the best at fighting and being aggressive. K1ng followed up his World Cup performance with two FNCS wins and has continued to impress everyone in the Brazilian region with his aggressive playstyle. Be it that he made that aggressive name for himself on the international stage, I am excited to see him return to that stage here at the FNCS Invitational.
Kelly: EpikWhale and Reet are two of the best players in NA West. Reet is the ultimate fragger and has proven himself as an international star after placing in several tournaments outside of his home region. Paired with EpikWhale, who is a six-time FNCS winner, as well as the champion from the most recent international Fortnite tournament at Gamers8, it's easy to see why these two are a force to be reckoned with.
Pick 3
Javier: EpikWhale and Reet. EpikWhale and Reet are two of my favorite individual players to rise up and pair together. I had the pleasure of standing directly behind EpikWhale and Reet competing in a solos competition back in early August, and all I can say is these players are incredible. You have to be inspired by EpikWhale’s most recent showing during an international competition, proving to the global community that he is still one of the best in the world. EpikWhale is one of the few legacy competitors that has managed to stick around since the Fortnite World Cup days.
Noah: Another player looking to add to their already impressive list of accolades is Muz. Muz is originally from the OCE region but has been living and competing on the NAE region for the past couple of years. Muz’s greatest accomplishment in Fortnite Competitive is that he is the only player to ever win an FNCS on multiple regions. Muz won two FNCS tourneys before moving to NAE where he ended up winning another.
Looter, who is Muz’s former OCE teammate from when Muz won notched both of his OCE victories, could no longer play with his teammate that he qualified with and has asked Muz to be his teammate for the FNCS Invitational. These two, of course, have not played together in quite some time, so it will be interesting to see how well they play together and how quickly they can formulate a strategy and playstyle.
Muz being the only player to ever win an FNCS in multiple regions would for sure love to add an in-person international event to their achievement list.
Kelly: JannisZ and Vadeal are the reigning FNCS champs coming from EU. They were able to grab two Victory Royales as well as place top 10 in nine of their games. This isn't the first time we've seen Jannis in the winner's seat. He has been able to take first place twice before and with his new duo mate, Vadeal, it looks like they aren't stopping anytime soon.
Pick 4
Javier: TaySon and Chapix. Tayson and Chapix could arguably be the greatest duo in the world. Chapix has a tremendous amount of in-person and virtual event success under his belt which will naturally give this team an edge over most. But then you have TaySon who is undeniably one of the greatest solo players to ever touch the Fortnite landscape. TaySon is one of few who have achieved the Axe of Champions consecutively in a single Chapter!