Over the last five years, gaming and streaming have seen a major uptick in national popularity, leading to just about everybody having some involvement in the intertwining careers. On Saturday, May 10, at the USC Galen Center, the Fortnite Championship Series (FNCS) Pro-Am, hosted by BLAST, returns for the first time since its debut in 2019. A total of 40 players, paired into 20 duos, will compete in Fortnite Reload for a share of the $500,000 prize pool, the FNCS Pro-Am trophy, and bragging rights.
” This one is going to be the craziest one because in the previous one, there were no established pros, and now I can’t even imagine the skill level the pros are competing at.” Jack “CourageJD” Dunlop said about his anticipation of the tournament. ” We are merging pro players with content creators, and I think it’s going to be a spectacle for the world to see.”
Dunlop began his career playing Halo and eventually won an internship at MLG through various contacts and friends made through the game. From 2014 through 2018, Dunlop hosted and cast many Call of Duty esports events, including the Call of Duty World League Championship in 2016, 2017, and 2018, MLG tournaments Pro League in 2014, 2015, and 2016, and UMG tournaments in 2015 and 2016
On April 20, 2019, Dunlop played in the Fortnite World Cup. On June 16, Dunlop played in the Fortnite Pro-Am 2019, partnering with celebrity Brendon Urie, placing second.
During the duo unveiling, CourageJD learned he’s teamed up with MSCS champion Joshua ‘Cold’ Butler. ” He’s known as being one of the best-skilled players in the world, and very few people can match his talent,” CourageJD said about his teammate. ” I’m following his lead and playing to his strength, I’ll be his moving lama if it means victory.”
Although CourageJD hasn’t competed in a pro tournament since 2019, his partner made Man City Esports history by becoming the Club’s first pro player to be crowned FNCS champion in the 2024 tournament.
While CourageJD and Cold are a competitive duo, Peter Bot(previous FNCS champion) and Twitch streamer AussieAntics are at the top of the rankings and expected to hold on to the crown at the end of the day. ” It’s a big storyline heading into the tournament; it’s a scary combination that’s going to keep everybody on their toes,” CourageJD said about PeterBot and AussieAntics. “Honestly, we can line it up round one with them. Cold and I aren’t shying away from any duo, and realistically, being seen as the underdog going into it adds to the excitement once we’re the duo holding the trophy.”
CourageJD and Cold are preparing for the tournament by competing in Fortnite build mode and learning each other’s play styles for cohesion. ” We teamed up in the FNCS Cup and have been running duos this past week leading up to the tournament, so it’s been fun working with him.”
Other duos CourageJD is excited to face are Clicks and Lacy, Sypher PK, Ronaldo, and Kanata.
Update:
After 6 rounds and 6 different winners, due to total score (Kills, damage points, knockdowns, and players’ in-game rankings after each match), the duo Peterbot and Aussie claim the title of top duo and 2025 FNCS- Pro Am champions.
To learn more about the tournament and purchase tickets, visit https://usctrojans.evenue.net/event/GC25/GC3. Tickets range from 44 to 77 dollars.
