Overwatch League Commissioner Leaves Club to Participate in "Fortnite" Competition

It is not certain that Nanzer is shaping Fortnite esports, although this is probably the case when he saw Overwatch League take off. He launched the idea of Overwatch to lead Jeff Kaplan in 2015, long before the game even happened, and helped get support from major financial supporters and teams. The league is now one of the largest sports entities, with major sponsors and, from 2020, home games. It would not be shocking if Nanzer built Fortnite in a similar way.

Overwatch League might not change much with the departure of Nanzer – Vlastelica has been around for a while and is well established. Nanzer for its part stress that his idea is "in big hands". For Epic, however, this could be a vital gesture. Fortnite has a massive number of players, but only a young esport initiative. If his competitive scene develops, he could maintain interest in the game and attract professional players who could turn to other games.