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Fortnite professional player Iwo "Setty" Zając, 19 years old, hails from Poland and represents Tundra. From his early days of placing 21st in the POG Solo Tournament, 2018, to placing first alongside Kami in the Fortnite Champion Series: Invitational 2022, Setty has come a long way. In the past he's been associated with other Esports organizations such Spectrum ESC and Become Legends.
In the recent Red Bull Contested LAN tournament that was held on June 10, 2023, he managed to bag the ninth position and took home £2,750 in winning. Sportskeeda got a chance to have a few words with him prior to the event taking place.
Iwo "Setty" Zając discusses Red Bull Contested, the state of Ranked Mode, and expectations from Fortnite Battle Royale
Q. First and foremost, thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Would you mind introducing yourself to people who might not know who you are, and perhaps shed some light as to what got you into Fortnite in the first place?
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Setty: I’m Iwo Zając, also known as Setty. I’m 19 years old and I’m a player from Poland. I represent Tundra, and I’m here to compete for the Red Bull Contested.
Q. You've had an incredible career in the world of Fortnite so far. Would you mind sharing with us a few highlights and accolades you have earned thus far? Furthermore, where do you want to see yourself as an esports athlete in the next few years?
Setty: One of my best achievements in Fortnite is obviously winning the Invitational last year with Kami, where we won $200,000. Another achievement was winning Trios back in 2022 with Teeq and Kami, where we got like $400,000. Second place in the Grand Royale, which was $400,000 as well.
Q. Coming back to the topic at hand, how are you feeling about the upcoming UK's first major Fortnite LAN tournament? Surely playing in front of a live audience will be a different ball game altogether. What’s your take on it? Do you feel that it will be a distraction or add to the overall hype of the event?
Setty: I think it adds to the vibe of the event because it’s nice having fans and all the people in front of you, cheering you on. Furthermore, I’ve been to many LAN events before, so I don’t think it’s going to distract me at all. If anything, it’s going to motivate me to do better.
Q. I understand that Solo is a high-risk high-reward format for any tournament, especially given that there will be eight opening rounds, with eliminations in the final four being worth double points. What’s your take on this unique setup? Do you feel that Duos would have been better suited?
Setty: I don’t think Duos would have been better-suited, especially since we have a lot of Duos tournaments. It’s nice to have something different, and also in eight rounds you can be more consistent. Also Solos are high-risk high-reward, but if you’re a good player, you can manage to stay consistent and come out on top.
Q. Given the stiff competition from some of the best players in Europe, what’s going on in your mind right now? Walk us through your thought process that helps you concentrate on staying on top of things.
Setty: I think I’m just very confident in myself because I’ve proven myself in the past and I’m ready to go.
Q. If possible, share your strategy with us that you implement during the early-game versus the late-game. Given how the addition of certain movement mechanics and the Fortnite Reality Augment system has spruced up gameplay, will it affect your desired strategy’s outcome?
Setty: I think in the early-game, I’m going to try and get an uncontested spot, especially because it’s Solos. I want to stay alive for as long as possible, especially because it’s eight rounds and you have to stay consistent.
There are many good players, that’s why you have to play defensive in the mid-game, and stay alive for as long as possible during the late-game. Try to win games with high kills because in the second half of the tournament, which is going to be double points. You’re going to want to work up those eliminations in the late-game. That’s my plan to win the tournament.
Q. As a professional player in Fortnite, given the competition at hand, what are your predictions about the tournament? Do you have anyone in mind who you would like to go head-to-head with during the course of a match? On that note, is there someone who you would want to avoid at all costs, and if yes, why?
Setty: Who’s going to do the best? It’s definitely going to be me, Kami, and Thomas. There are a lot of good players at hand. We don’t want to face each other during the mid-game because we’re going to lose out on a game. You never know who’s going to win or lose the trade-off. So, if possible, we’re going to all avoid each other or use each other to rotate and play the game.
Q. Moving on from the Red Bull Contested Fortnite LAN tournament, what’s your take on the newly added Fortnite Ranked Mode? Do you feel it has enough gusto to propel Fortnite into the limelight and help professional players be taken more seriously? Given that the LAN tournament in Copenhagen, Denmark - FNCS Global Championship 2023 - is due later this year, do you feel that the Ranked Mode will help shine a brighter light on things?
Setty: I don’t think the Ranked Mode really changed anything; it’s basically the same as Arena. It’s just different names for the ranks and I think we can improve it a lot. It’s way too easy to reach Unreal rank right now. People can do it in just one day. I think if we can improve the ranking process, it can be improved moving forward.
Q. As a professional player, what are your expectations from the Ranked Mode moving forward? Although it’s still in its infancy, what more can Epic Games do to improve the experience and integrate things more seamlessly?
Setty: It would be nice to be able to drop out of the highest rank that can be achieved. At the moment, you can play your worst everyday and it’s not going to change a single thing.
Q. Moving on from the Ranked Mode and the competitive side of things, what are your general thoughts about Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 2 thus far? Are you enjoying the storyline and newly added collaborative items or do you feel that the current season is a letdown?
Setty: I enjoyed the season. Especially the Japanese theme because I’m really into it. I really like the items that were added in, but going forward it will be nice to see some new things.
Q. Speaking of seasons, what’s your wishlist for Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 3? With leakers/data-miners predicting a full-scale tropical/jungle biome, are you excited to play the role of Ace Ventura?
Setty: I’m really excited to see the new theme of Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 3. We knew it’s going to be a jungle. It will be really nice if they can implement some changes in the Ranked Mode as well so it can be more competitive and people can grind it more; maybe a few more tournaments.
Q. On that note, thank you once again for taking out the time to talk to us, but before you leave, what would be the one piece of advice you’d like to share for up-and-coming players? What’s that one thing that you would want them to know and focus on above everything else?
Setty: I want you to focus on just being yourself. If your goal is to be the best, just play as long as you can for as many hours as you can, but still try to be healthy in your life. Try to go to the gym, eat well, have friends, do well in school, and that’s it.
