Fortnite adds competitive Solo Showdown mode for limited time

Fortnite (opens in new tab)'s latest limited time mode, Solo Showdown, doesn't actually change any of the battle royale shooter's rules, unlike all the other temporary modes we've seen (opens in new tab). Instead, it's basically a competitive mode: you'll play against "other self-selected competitors" and be placed on a leaderboard that ranks players based on their performance in their first 50 games. The top players will win prizes—the idea is that people will take it more seriously than the regular solo queue. 

The top 100 will be rewarded with various levels of V-bucks, the in-game currency, when the mode ends on Monday, May 21. If you're placed 51 through 100, you'll get 7,500, which will normally set you back $60. 

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Place between 50 and 5 and you'll get 13,500 V-bucks, while fourth, third and second place get 25,000 and the winner gets a whopping 50,000. Don't get too excited, though: remember, this is a ranking of everyone that plays at least 50 matches in the mode. You have to be 16 or older to win a prize, too.

Announcing the mode (opens in new tab), Epic Games said it's "using the Solo Showdown as a one-off stepping stone to learn how to build great events for all types of players", and promised a "major announcement about competitive play next week".

The mode is live now. The full rules are here (opens in new tab).

Samuel Horti

Samuel Horti is a long-time freelance writer for PC Gamer based in the UK, who loves RPGs and making long lists of games he'll never have time to play. He's now a full-time reporter covering health at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. When he does have time for games you may find him on the floor, struggling under the weight of his Steam backlog.