Fortnite is growing its physical presence with a giant, three-day sporting event that kicked off Friday and included a competition that pitted pros against amateurs.

The Fortnite World Cup brought together 10,000 attendees in the Arthur Ashe tennis stadium, and over 180,000 more viewed online. Bigger events are planned for Saturday and Sunday and may draw even more attention.

The game involves 100 players dropping onto a virtual island and battling it out until one remains standing. Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite, put various spins on the game for fun events on Friday, including a celebrity competition better known as Pro-Am, or professionals versus amateurs.

Kiwi pair 18 year old Chris Hunt and 23 year old Sam Pearson, who go by gaming name’s CoverH and Twizz, made it to the finals of the duo division. 

They are one of the top 50 duos competing for their share in the $44.5 million prize pool.

Sam and Chris are part of the Warriors eSports team, connected to the rugby league franchise. Co-founder and Head of Strategy Cameron Russell told Andrew Dickens that they didn't crack the top 10, but they still won US$100,000.

He says that the Warriors brand can be taken globally. 

"The Warriors is a strong brand that we believe can help bring culture into what we want to bring into e-sports, which is getting people out and working alongside the community." 

Russell says that Fortnite is more than just a game - it is an entertainment empire. 

"Sam is a full time streamer, he was broadcasting to an audience every day and had a loyal following of subscribers who were giving him his income through that." 

He says that one of the challenges for Australian and New Zealand players looking to go pro is that they have a smaller pool of players to compete against.