Top 10 Fortnite players of all time

Fortnite esports has also come in for considerable criticism; for its ever-changing ruleset, its apparent lack of developer support, and the unprofessional way in which both the players and Epic have handled themselves at key, and highly public, moments.

But in the three years since YouTuber Keemstar put on the Friday Fortnite tournaments, the game has grown to become an esport with much to celebrate. It introduced a whole new audience to esports, created the most open and competitive system offering up the chance for anyone to compete - on any platform - and from any country. The prize pools have also been staggering and widely distributed, with thousands of players awarded cash prizes at every major tournament. Then there was the cultural success of the Fortnite World Cup that took esports from peoples bedrooms to the front page of every major newspaper.

It's these successes that continue to make the game so competitive at the top and made stars out of the game's biggest players; we've had Tyler "Ninja" Blevins, Kyle "Bugha" Giersdorf, and Ali "Myth" Kabbani.

Does Ninja (pictured) make it into the best Fortnite players of all time? (Picture: ESPN)

But the biggest names aren't always the best, and some of those mentioned have moved on to pastures new but where do their accomplishments rank with those strutting their stuff these days? We take a look at the top players across the history of Fortnite, from those Friday Fortnite tournaments to the most recent FNCS, and have put together the top 10 best Fortnite players ever. 

Let's get into it.

The top 10 best Fortnite players of all time 

Before we get started, it's important to remember that this is a subjective list. The pandemic has obviously meant LANs have been non-existent for Fortnite for the majority of its competitive life so you are comparing apples and oranges or, more accurately, the east coast of the United States and Europe.

Fortnite is also an extremely fast-moving game both in its meta and its ruleset and it's only in the last few seasons of the FNCS that has settled into being Trios. 

With that out the way, let's get into it.

10) Brodie "Rehx" Franks

(Picture: 100 Thieves)

Widely regarded as one of the best players to ever come out of North America west, Rehx has been in dominant force in the region, regularly teaming up with Arkhram and EpikWhale to great success.

He has won it all, with two FNCS titles under his belt and more Trio Cash Cups that you can shake a stick at the 100 Thieves man has proven himself time and again.

Other notable achievements include lifting the DreamHack Open in November, He is one of those that has just a few LAN appearances and will hope that a post-covid world will allow him to flex his skills on the big stage.

9) Williams "Zayt" Aubins

(Picture: NRG)

Part of the most successful duo the game has ever seen, Zayt has not only the accolades but also longevity that few other players can match. 

He is also the only player on our list who has retired from competing, a step back in January preceding his permanent move to content creation.

What Zayt leaves behind though is an hour longs highlight reel, an iconic partnership with Rocco "Saf" Morales and victories both at LANs such as 2019's Katowice tournament and in the FNCS.

8) Martin "MrSavage" Foss Andersen

(Picture: 100 Thieves)

MrSavage, even at just 16 years old, has a wealth of experience at the top of Fortnite. His career has taken in three orgs including NRG Esports and his current home, 100 Thieves and he has won major tournaments, both on LAN, and online with his win at DreamHack Anaheim 2020 cementing him as one of the game's best.

7) David "aqua" Wang

(Picture: Epic Games)

The first player on our list to win the game's highest honour, aqua alongside his duo partner nhyrox won the Fortnite World Cup. It was a win that made him a millionaire and one of the most respected players in the world.

He didn't rest on those laurels though and followed up his world cup win with an FNCS victory in Season X.

He still regularly competes and is often seen playing with Veno and ccr.

6) Shane "EpikWhale" Cotton

(Picture: Epic Games)

Not quite a winner at the World Cup but one who left the event with his reputation greatly enhanced (and his bank balance). 

His performances since then have been both consistent and memorable, at one point dropping his keyboard and mouse for a controller mid-tournament.

The undisputed champion of North American west, EpikWhale, has a compelling case for being one of the best Fortnite players of all time.

5) Kyle "Bugha" Giersdorf

(Picture: Epic Games)

Our second World Cup winner and the undoubted star of the event, Bugha became a (gamer) household name with his victory and in the months and years that followed he proved that he was no one-hit wonder with a string of top-five finishes in every major competition.

And he is still going, he recently teamed up with regular teammate, Bizzle, for DreamHack April where he finished 9th.

4) Jack “Jahq” Downs

(Picture: G2 Esports)

One of the fresher names on the list, Jahq has been terrorizing the North American east region with his trio partners, Acron and Slackes, lifting the FNCS Chapter 2 Season 5 trophy.

His impressive solo performances show a versatility that his teammates can't quite match and he is known to be a top-tier sniper, builder and IGL.

1) Jannis “JannisZ” Matwin

(Picture: Wave Esports)

Arguably the best player in Europe at the moment, JannisZ has made 2021 his own with victories in the Chapter 2 Season 5 FNCS as well as the solo Chapter 2 Season Invitational. One of the few players to win two FNCS tournaments, particularly difficult in Europe which is widely considered the strongest region in the game.

Currently playing for Guild Esports after a period at Wave Esports, the German looks likely to continue racking up the wins.

3) Moussa "Chapix" Fh

One of the best ever, and its another European, Chapix has been at the top of Europe since early 2019 and he has rarely flattered. 

An appearance at the Fortnite World Cup introduced to him a wider audience and a win in the Chapter 2 Season 5 Grand Finals, with JannisZ no less, cemented him as one of the best.

He also has a trophy cabinet full of cash cups (eight to be exact) and the number of top 10 finishes Chapix has is too long to name. Consistent, cracked, and ever-present.

2) Benjy David "Benjyfishy" Fish

(Picture: Epic Games)

Few players have been able to stay at the top for as long as Benjyfishy has. Benjy first made a name for himself when qualifying for the Fortnite World Cup, he, like compatriot and frequent teammate Mongraal, "qualified" multiple times and since then he has been an ever-present at the top of the leaderboards. He was also one of a few select players who qualified for both the solo and duo events, where he finished 25th and 14th respectively.

It is perhaps fitting that he is in second place, despite never having won a major event (his closest was 2nd place in the Chapter 2 Season 1 FNCS) but this is Fortnite, and if you were to tally and average his placements at those same tournaments you'd probably find him sitting right where he is now, in second place.

1) Jannis “JannisZ” Matwin

(Picture: Wave Esports)

Arguably the best player in Europe at the moment, JannisZ has made 2021 his own with victories in the Chapter 2 Season 5 FNCS as well as the solo Chapter 2 Season Invitational. One of the few players to win two FNCS tournaments, particularly difficult in Europe which is widely considered the strongest region in the game.

Currently playing for Guild Esports after a period at Wave Esports, the German looks likely to continue racking up the wins.