Epic Games has confirmed there will be no in-person Fortnite events in 2021. The Fortnite Team released the news on the game’s official website. This means that there will be no Fortnite World Cup. However, the show must go on and the Fortnite Championship Series is scheduled to continue online. The Fortnite Team says their primary concern is for player safety and, taking a global pandemic into account, they’ve made the conscious decision to follow social distancing guidelines. 

The Fortnite Championship Series, or FNCS, events will continue throughout 2021. The party size will be altered to Trios from now on but they “still may alter the scoring and/or qualification formats season by season.” The game is also promising more weekly tournaments, unique tournaments, and Creator cups in order to compensate for the cancellation of all physical events next year. Although they have decided not to hold the in-person Fortnite World Cup, the post reassures fans saying “there will be plenty of competitions (not just Trios!) to scratch the competitive itch between FNCS seasons.” The team says above all, the health and safety of staff and players is their first priority. 

We defeated him! A record 15.3 million concurrent players joined forces in our biggest event ever to fight back Galactus in today’s in-game event, while more than 3.4 million cheered and watched on @YouTubeGaming and @Twitch! pic.twitter.com/IAcNpcPKEw

— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) December 2, 2020

This news comes after the end of Marvel-themed Season 4. The end was marked by a huge battle between heroes (like Wolverine, Thor, and Ironman) taking down big baddie Galactus. According to the game’s Twitter account, the live event was the largest game they ever had, with 15.3 million concurrent players while another 3.4 million more watched on Youtube and Twitch. Currently, Season 5 of Fortnite: Chapter 2 is named “zero point,” themed after the greatest hunters from different realities. Although players won’t be able to meet in person, Fortnite is making major efforts to keep things semi-normal in the crazy climate we live in today.