Benjamin Kocurek just wanted to “have fun” on Sunday afternoon at a Fortnite video game tournament in Frisco dubbed TimTheTatman’s Hoedown Tournament. While he did have a good time, Kocureck also walked away with $50,000.
“I had no expectations going into it, which is why it was kind of wild that I was able to do so well. I just wanted to have fun and try my absolute best,” Kocurek told WFAA.
Fortnite is a popular, battle-royale-style competitive video game that is a fan favorite at esports events.
Sunday’s tournament, hosted by popular YouTube streamer TimTheTatman and esports organization Complexity, was held at The Star in Frisco. The competitors sat in front of a massive screen with an in-person and online audience cheering them on.
Kocurek, known as Benk_live online, had recently taken time away from esports competitions, but as he advanced on Sunday, his notion of “having fun” turned into something much more.
“My competitive experience kicked in, and I was able to pull out a win,” said Kocurek.
The UT Arlington mechanical engineering major was not the only one to walk away with a big cash prize. Another UT Arlington student who goes by Pfluger won $10,000 after placing third in the same tournament.
Pfluger stated he would listen to his mother about what to do with his prize money.
“My mom suggested that I should invest it into stocks, so I’ll probably put most of the money into investing,” Pfluger told ESPORTS GG.
Kocurek clocked 35 eliminations and 196 points to win the top prize.
As for what he plans to do next, he stated he wants to focus on commentating on esports broadcasts and continue his involvement in the UT Arlington Esports Club.
“Collegiate esports is awesome. There’s no reason that anybody who cheers for their college football team shouldn’t be cheering for their college’s esports team,” Kocurek told WFAA.
Although most 20-year-olds would want to do something lavish with the kind of money Kocurek won, he had something different in mind.
“I’m probably going to stick it into an account with compound interest and forget about it for 30 years and see what happens,” he said.