He is the poster boy of Fortnite esports, having famously won the solos event at the inaugural (and to this day, only) Fortnite World Cup, and now he’s got his very own Icon Series skin in the battle royale. We are of course talking about Kyle ‘Bugha’ Giersdorf.
Bugha has been teasing a big announcement, and if you love Fortnite, there’s no bigger announcement than saying you’ve got your own skin in the game. He is the first pro player to join the star-studded lineup of streamers to get have Icon Series skins, including Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins, Kathleen ‘Loserfruit’ Belsten, and Lannan ‘Lazarbeam’ Eacott.
While somewhat late (almost two years late, in fact), Bugha’s Icon Series skin commemorates his famous World Cup win, with a dual-wield pickaxe, an emote of his signature Homer grind dance move, and a back bling of the actual World Cup trophy. Oh, and his dog even comes along for a ride in the trophy. Adorable.
Alongside the release of his skin, a new game mode and tournament are also dropping. Bugha’s Late Game Arena drops players straight into the third zone for a taste of hectic competitive-style action. It’s a Trios event and there’s no looting required.
“We’ve collaborated with Bugha to curate nine starting inventories grouped into three team loadouts. Each Trio will be assigned one of these team loadouts at random,” Epic Games says.
This Arena mode runs from July 20-28, and the top teams in terms of Hype from this period will qualify to take part in a best-of-the-best tournament on the 28th – which will be the two-year anniversary of Bugha’s famous win.
With Epic cancelling the 2020 World Cup and opting not to host any offline events in 2021, we’re still yet to see Bugha attempt to defend his crown. At least the release of the Icon Series skin tomorrow will bring some World Cup nostalgia.