“In-Game Tournaments are open to everyone and provide an opportunity for every player to compete directly alongside the pros for prizes and glory,” the blog post states.
In-game tournaments will be accessed from the game’s “Events” section, and the initial schedule is as follows (exact times for your region can be confirmed in the client):
Alpha Tournament (Solo): October 16 - 21 Beta Tournament (Duo): October 23 - 25 Friday Night Fortnite (Squad): October 19 - November 30 Salty Springs Cup (Solo): October 27 - 31 Tomato Temple Cup (Duo): October 28 - November 1
With these initial tournaments, “all players will begin with the same score and compete over several hours of intense competition to earn as many points as possible,” Epic explains.
Points are earned by eliminating opponents and placing highly in matches, and players that reach a “target score” will receive shiny pins. In future tournaments, shiny pins will advance players to subsequent tournament rounds or award them prizes.
Epic also notes that matchmaking will pair players that have similar point standings, and players across all platforms (PC, console, or mobile) will “compete against one another as equals.”
Epic cites the Summer Skirmish, PAX West, and Fall Skirmish tournaments as proof that players using controllers “can be successful while competing against some of the best PC players in the world.”
Looking forward, fans can expect multi-round tournaments and those with new scoring formats and alternates modes.
The post closes noting that qualifiers for the 2019 Fortnite World Cup will be accessed through the in-game tournament system “later this year.”