The Fortnite Console Cups have kicked off for Chapter 5. How does the format work and how can you get involved over the coming months?

A new type of Fortnite competitive event is here for Chapter 5 Season 1, Console Cash Cups. These are special new cups which will only be available for players on console. While traditionally not most the competitive platform, console does now support up to 120 FPS for Fortnite. Pair that with many high-level pros preferring controller to mouse and keyboard and we might actually see some impressive games being played at the Fortnite C5 Console Cash Cups!

If you’re looking to get involved in Fortnite Chapter 5 tournaments but play on console, these are a perfect opportunity. There are already the Fortnite PlayStation exclusive events, but wider Fortnite C5 console cups are arriving this season too.

What’s special about the Console Cups Fortnite tournaments is that you’ll be up against people playing with the same hardware as you. It’s a truly level playing field. The Fortnite Console Cups also allows players to compete for cash prizes. How can you get involved with the Fortnite Console Cash Cup events? This is how it works and when you can join in, plus the changes to the tournament build of the game this season.

Fortnite Console Cups Format

The Fortnite C5 Console Cups are fun events being held regularly. What’s the format for them? Coming exclusively as console tournaments, there are some factors to keep in mind for how it’s going to be running. There are multiple cash cups running all season, but each is in more than one session. The Fortnite Console Cups are running in two rounds. Each day will see both a Zero Builds and Builds session take place.

The next day, round two is held. This is where players who placed highly first time around come back for a tougher challenge. It’s this second round with the bigger prizes, but it’s much more competitive.

One nice thing about the Fortnite C5 Console Cups is how accessible they are. Pretty much everyone can take part. Having both Builds and Zero Builds helps too. No matter which way you play Fortnite you’re able to get involved. Provided you can win games of Fortnite enough to keep going in the session.

The Time Limit

Each Fortnite esports session is held with a strict time limit. Since the game has such big lobbies, the length of matches can vary. You have a three-hour time limit. You’ll be able to play up to ten matches in each round. If you crash out early each game, you won’t need the full half hour. Getting down to a moving storm heal-off every game will mean you can’t finish all ten though. This time management by itself is something that will affect a player’s performance.

The second round has a different session format. Players still have 3 hours, but can only play 6 games. This means pretty much everyone will be in every game for that section of the Console Cups Fortnite tournaments. This is a more standard format for tournaments with the Fortnite player base already narrowed down to the best.

How can players secure their spots in the second round of the Fortnite Console Cups? It comes down to how they’ve placed in the first session. The top 50 placing Duos will move forward. The others will have to try again at the next tournament.

Scoring in Fortnite C5 Console Cups

As a Battle Royale, Fortnite has a bit of a different scoring system. Players get points for both placements on kills. On top of that, Chapter 5 has some new scoring quirks. These include some major prizes for securing extra objectives. This is the scoring for the Fortnite C5 Console Cups.

• Victory Royale – 65 Points
• 2^nd – 56 Points
• 3^rd – 52 Points
• 4^th – 48 Points
• 5^th – 44 Points
• 6^th – 40 Points
• 7^th – 38 Points
• 8^th – 36 Points
• 9^th – 34 Points
• 10^th – 32 Points
• 11^th – 30 Points
• 12^th – 28 Points
• 13^th – 26 Points
• 14^th – 24 Points
• 15^th – 22 Points
• 16^th – 20 Points
• 17^th – 18 Points
• 18^th – 16 Points
• 19^th – 14 Points
• 20^th – 12 Points
• 21^st – 10 Points
• 22^nd – 8 Points
• 23^rd – 6 Points
• 24^th – 4 Points
• 25^th – 2 Points
• Securing Forecast Tower – 3 Points
• Rift Island POI – 15 Points
• Elims – 2 Points

This setup for the Fortnite Console Cups is the same as most other tournaments. There’s the weird weighting towards the Rift Island POI for some reason.

Who Can Play in the Fortnite Console Cups?

The Fortnite C5 Console Cups are a proper esports event with cash on offer, but they aren’t open to the whole player base. There are two factors which limit who can take part. First is your rank. You’ll need to reach Platinum I or above in the Fortnite Ranked Mode before the competition. The second is your platform. This is open to players on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, and Switch.

The newer-gen consoles are capable of hitting 120 FPS which will definitely make for a strong position in these tournaments. However, even on other hardware it’s worth taking part. Switch players lost their ability to turn off crossplay quite a while ago. If you’re still grabbing Victory Royales on there locked at 30 FPS against PC sweats with Mouse and keyboard, you definitely still stand a chance against a PlayStation player in the Console Cups Fortnite Tournaments.

The Fortnite Console cash cups also are closed to mouse and keyboard console players. While Fortnite accepts this as an input, it actually auto-sorts you into PC lobbies if you use a mouse. This means you won’t be able to join this tournament unless you’re on controller. That’s generally for the best to keep things fair.

Players also have to hit a particular rank in the Fortnite Ranked mode first. You’ll need to get to Platinum or higher. This isn’t the very top of the game anymore, although it might take a complete newcomer some time to rise up this high. 

When are the Console Cups Fortnite Tournaments?

That’s how it’s all going to work, when can you get involved? These are the dates announced so far when you can jump into the Fortnite C5 console cups.

• December 14 – Cash Cup 1
• January 17 – Cash Cup 2 Round 1
• January 18 – Cash Cup 2 Round 2
• February 7 – Cash Cups 3 Round 1
• February 8 – Cash Cup 3 Round 2
• February 14 – Cash Cup 4 Round 1
• February 15 – Cash Cup 4 Round 2

That’s how the whole tournament is going to work! If you want to get involved, this is a great chance for console players to compete against the very best players.