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Professional Fortnite player Konrad "Skram" Skram is a member of Manchester City Esports and slowly making waves in the game's competitive scene. From ranking third alongside Mexe in the Gauntlet - Europe to coming first with Hellfire in Fortnite Champion Series: Chapter 3 Season 2 - Qualifier 3: Round 4, he's on his way to the top.
In the recent Red Bull Contested LAN tournament that was held on June 10, 2023, Skram managed to come in the twelfth position and take home £1,900 in prize money. We at Sportskeeda, got a chance to talk to him before the event and discuss his strategy, general thoughts about the past season, and expectations from the Ranked Mode moving forward.
Konrad "Skram" Skram shares some friendly advice for up-and-coming Fortnite players and talks about his expectations from Red Bull Contested LAN tournament
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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Skram: My name is Skram. I’m a professional Fortnite player for Manchester City Esports. My love for games in general got me into playing Fortnite.
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 earned thus far? Furthermore, where do you want to see yourself as an esports athlete in the next few years?
Skram: The first major highlight in my career was coming in fifth in a tournament. I won $30,000, which was huge for me, and I qualified for the World Cup. I also ranked second in Grands last year.
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?
Skram: Being a LANs, it’s going to bring out a lot more hype to the scene. Having competed in the Fortnite World Cup, I think I’m going to be fine.
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?
Skram: Solos are definitely harder than Duos. It’s definitely a different playstyle than Duos. I think that having double eliminations in the last four rounds is going to change a lot. Some players are going to be higher on the leaderboard, but the top five will probably remain the same.
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 the thought process that helps you concentrate on staying on top of things.
Skram: I’m just going to focus on myself and the gameplay. Hopefully, that’s going to be enough.
Q. If possible, share with us the strategy you implement during the early game versus the late game. Given how the addition of certain movement mechanics and the Reality Augment system has spruced up gameplay, will it affect your desired strategy’s outcome?
Skram: I think I’ll just play to get the best loadout possible, and from there on out, prepare for the late game. But I will use my early game to be a bit aggressive to get the loot I want, and for the late game, I’m just going to do my thing.
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?
Skram: I think some of the big names in this tournament are obviously Th0masHD and Veno amongst others.
Q. Moving on from the Red Bull Contested Fortnite LAN tournament, what’s your take on the newly added 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?
Skram: I really like the concept of Ranked Mode, but I think that, right now, it has a couple of flaws that can be changed, but all in all, I like the idea.
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?
Skram: Firstly, Epic Games should bring back Siphon. It’s a huge part of the game that all professional players enjoy. Also, reduce queue times to make things faster than it is right now.
Q. Moving on from the Ranked Mode and the competitive side of things, what are your general thoughts about Chapter 4 Season 2 thus far? Are you enjoying the storyline and newly added collaborative items, or do you feel that the current season was a letdown?
Skram: I’d say that I enjoyed it, but I’m excited for Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 3.
Q. Speaking of seasons, what’s your wishlist for Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 3? With leakers/dataminers predicting a full-scale tropical/jungle biome, are you excited to play the role of Ace Ventura?
Skram: Yes, definitely, I’m hoping to have Siphon back, and I hope my spot doesn’t get removed from the Red Bull Contested tournament.
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?
Skram: Just play the game. I think that’s the main advice I’d probably give. Just play the game, work on your flaws, and if you’re good at one aspect, spend less time on it.
