Fortnite Championship Series returns in 2026 with $10m prize pool

Epic Games has revealed that the Fortnite Championship Series (FNCS) will return in 2026 with a total prize pool worth $10m (~£7.4m).

The 2026 season will once again feature three Majors spread through the year, as players across the world fight for a place in the next FNCS Global Championship. The biggest takeaway is that the FNCS scene is reverting to a duos format after experimenting with trios in the 2025 season.

According to Epic Games, everything kicks off with the FNCS Trial taking place on January 31st, 2026. While it is a short-form event, the tournament is significant as it will place players in divisions based on performance.

The results will shape the Divisional Cups that will be held throughout Fortnite Chapter 7, where duos can begin their run for a place in one of the three Majors.

According to the schedule posted by Epic Games, Major 1 will run from April 6th to 26th, Major 2 is scheduled from July 20th to August 9th, and Major 3 will take place from September 21st to October 11th, 2026.

Similar to previous years, each Major consists of three stages, beginning with the Play-In Stage. Based on leaderboard placements at the end of the stage, the top 150 duos in NAC and EU, and top 100 for all other regions, will be seeded into heats.

The Heat Stage will see teams divided into three groups in NAC and EU, and two groups in other regions, where earning a victory royale secures a place in the Major Finals. Additionally, the top 10 duos in EU and NAC, and the top 18 for other regions, will also proceed to the Major Finals. 

The top 50 duos that have participated in any level of the Divisional Cup in each region will play in the Last Chance lobby, and the team that earns a victory royale will move on to the Major Finals.

The Major Finals will see players compete in 12 matches to be crowned the FNCS Major Champion. The winning duo of each region will earn the lion’s share of the prize pool and also wield the Axe of Champions 3.0 in-game pickaxe in the next in-game season.

The top players from the Major Finals will also advance to the FNCS Major One Summit, an LAN event taking place in May 2026 and offering a $1m (~£744,800) prize pool. The top five placing duos in the summit will secure a place in the season’s crowning event, the Fortnite Global Championship.

The highly anticipated world championship will take place sometime in November 2026, featuring 12 games over the course of two days. 50 teams comprised of the top duos from Major 1 Summit and both the Major Two and Three Finals will compete for a $2m (~£1.49m) prize pool and be crowned the new world champions.