From daily cash cups to minimal rewards: Here is why Fortnite competitive may be slowly dying

Fortnite has been experiencing a slowdown in its viewership for competitive tournaments, and it won't turn around if they don't change.

It is very clear from the lack of prize money this year to how small tournaments are becoming that Epic Games does not have the hold on the competitive market that it used to. It is hard to keep viewers focused on the smaller events when the stakes are not as high as they used to be.

Fortnite offers bragging rights though! That will fund the orgs for sure!

— Zhaine (@ZhaineDZN) January 10, 2021

Fortnite has stopped giving out weekly prizes, and the daily tournaments have been replaced with Friday Nite Bragging Rights. These new tournaments reward players with exposure but no monetary rewards. Viewers must not feel compelled to watch when the prize is literally a spot on a leader board.

Related: Fortnite: Ninja hasn’t touched the game in some time, and here’s why

Another sign of the decline is how many big names have left the game. Ninja is the most notable gamer to leave Fortnite entirely; he left alongside Myth, another popular streamer. Zayt is the most recent player to leave, and he states it's because the game isn't as fun anymore.

Related: Zayt retires from Fortnite after prize pools get reduced

"I didn’t have fun playing the game and I didn’t have fun competing or getting better at the game."Zayt explains why he's retiring from competing in Fortnite and what lays in store for him moving forward:https://t.co/qV3nb4L9iC

— DEXERTO.COM (@Dexerto) January 12, 2021

Losing prizes is one thing. Losing the streamers that brought attention to Fortnite is a bigger deal. Without the big names, the tournaments lose their impact in the community. This is a downhill slide, and Fortnite needs to step up before it snowballs too far and is incapable of being saved.

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Fortnite's longtime player, SypherPK, feels strongly about the current state of the game

SypherPK, once known as the Trap King, has made several comments on the state of Fortnite and what can be done. He states that players view the smaller competitions less and less, and that's a sign of a growing issue. He has spoken about the issue more as time has gone on, pointing out flaws in the game's current state.

Related: Is Fortnite Dying? : SypherPK explains what the downfall of competitive Fortnite means for the game

i think it's safe to say with these declining prize pools that fortnite competitive is in it's dying stages

— Overt Bumper (@BumperANZ) January 10, 2021

He is hoping that as he brings attention to these flaws, epic games will fix or change the game for the better. Most recently, SypherPK spoke about traps in Fortnite and how their return could bring fans back to Fortnite.

Related: SypherPK explains why Fortnite needs to bring "traps" back

SypherPK focused on one point more than anything else. Fortnite needs to spend the money to make daily competitions more compelling. He states that while having a spot in bragging rights is nice, it's not very effective to bring a fanbase back.

Whether Epic Games will listen to SypherPK or not remains to be seen, but it is clear that the former trap king still has a sense of loyalty for the game.