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Fortnite Championship Series (FNCS) 2026 Returns With $10 Million Prize Pool

Fortnite Championship Series (FNCS) 2026 Returns With $10 Million Prize Pool

13th December 2025
3 min read
Emaad Jameel Ahmed
Emaad Jameel Ahmed

Living the game on and off the pitch. FC pro gamer, and content enjoyer sharing what’s next in esports.

The Fortnite Championship Series (FNCS) is officially back in 2026, and it’s bigger than ever. Epic Games has revealed a massive $10,000,000 total prize pool, a Duos-only competitive format, and two major LAN events that will define Fortnite esports in Chapter Seven.

FNCS 2026 Kickoff: FNCS Trial – January 31

The road to glory begins on January 31, 2026, with the FNCS Trial. This short-form competitive event places players into Divisions based on performance.

Throughout Chapter Seven, Divisional Cups will allow duos to climb the ranks and work their way up to Division 1 (D1) — the only division that qualifies players for FNCS Majors.

FNCS 2026 Structure: Three Majors + Global Championship

FNCS 2026 will feature three Majors, all leading to the ultimate showdown at the Fortnite Global Championship. Each Major follows a four-stage competitive structure:

Play-In Stage

The Play-In Stage spans two days and serves as the entry point to each Major.

  • Top 150 duos in EU & NAC
  • Top 100 duos in all other regions

These teams advance to the Heat Stage.

Heat Stage

  • EU & NAC: 3 heats
  • Other regions: 2 heats

A Victory Royale in the Heat Stage guarantees instant qualification to the Major Finals. Additionally:

  • Top 10 duos in EU & NAC
  • Top 18 duos in other regions will also qualify for the Finals.

Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ)

Missed out on the Finals? The Last Chance Qualifier keeps hopes alive.

  • Open to duos who played any Divisional Cup during Chapter Seven
  • Top 50 duos per region advance to the LCQ lobby
  • A single Victory Royale sends a duo straight to the Major Finals

Major Finals

The Major Finals are a two-day event featuring 12 matches.

  • One winning duo per region is crowned FNCS Major Champion
  • Winners earn prize money and wield the Axe of Champions 3.0 for the next Battle Royale season

FNCS Major 1 Summit – $1,000,000 LAN Event

Top-performing duos from Major 1 Finals will receive an invite to the $1,000,000 FNCS Major 1 Summit, a LAN event scheduled for May 2026. This marks one of the biggest in-person Fortnite competitions of the year.

Fortnite Global Championship 2026

Qualification for the Fortnite Global Championship LAN comes through:

  • FNCS Major 1 Summit
  • FNCS Major 2 Finals
  • FNCS Major 3 Finals

The world’s best duos will battle it out for the title of best Fortnite duo globally and a share of the $2,000,000 Global Championship prize pool.

For a full breakdown of FNCS 2026, visit the official Fortnite Competitive page.


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