Epic Games is ditching in-person Fortnite events in 2021

Epic Games won't hold in-person Fortnite tournaments in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Outlining what the competitive Fortnite scene will look like in 2021 and beyond in a recent blog post, the company said it absolutely plans to reintroduce physical events in the future, but that it won't happen next year because of the unknowns presented by COVID-19. 

"Our intent is to eventually hold global in-person tournaments again, but our priority for any such event is the health and safety of our players and staff," said Epic in a statement. "With so much still unknown about what is practical and safe, we do not plan to hold in-person events in  2021, including a Fortnite World Cup. 

"We will continue to provide online competitions throughout 2021 with the hopes that physical events, in some form, can return at some point in the future."

The Fortnite Championship Series (FNCS), an open tournament that allows the best players to become champions of their specific region, will also continue digitally throughout 2021. Beyond that, Epic has pledged to deliver "plenty of competitions" between FNCS seasons to help players "scratch the competitive itch," all of which will also take place online for at least the next 12 months.