WANTAGH, NY — A talented Wantagh teen is among an elite group of 64 young people who will compete for $50,000 as part of a livestreamed Fortnite tournament final in Las Vegas, according to a report. Jacob Yousha, 13, will fly to Las Vegas along with five other Long Island teens for the amateur national esports tournament known as the Simon Cup, Newsday reported.
“I guess all the hours on the computer paid off for him,” the boy’s mother, LaDonna Yousha, told the newspaper. “I didn’t know he was that good, actually. He didn’t know he was that good.”
Esports entertainment company Allied Esports and Simon — which owns premier shopping, dining, entertainment and mixed-use destinations around the country, including Roosevelt Field in Garden city — are sponsoring the competition.
Thousands of players nationwide competed in online qualifiers and at in-person regional events as part of the inaugural six-week competition. The Grand Final will be held Saturday at HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas. The players will compete in front of a live audience, and the winner will be crowned on stage.
Should Jacob prove victorious, he will be invited to one of four Las Vegas Simon centers for a $50,000 shopping spree.
The Grand Final will be livestreamed on the Twitch channels of FaZe Clan superstar Nickmercs and Allied Esports starting at 5 p.m. EST.
Finals participants range in age from 13 to 25, and the average age is 16, so Jacob will be one of the youngest players.
In the final tournament, all 64 players will be placed into a Fortnite solo custom lobby with a tailored scoring format that emphasizes placements, especially Victory Royales, and eliminations. Point values scale through each round.
