Trans gamer wins $78,000 in Fortnite championship at ‘Milk Cup’ girls’s-only event
“It felt crazy to lift that trophy, to prove people wrong in a sense, and really show that anybody can participate in esports.”
A women’s Fortnite championship over the weekend saw a trans-identified male finish in the top slot alongside his female teammate, taking home tens of thousands of dollars in prize money after winning all six rounds of the San Diego event.
The trans-identified male, Vader, and his teammate, Nina “ilyynina” Fernandez, brought home the trophy and $78,000 after winning the Milk Cup. Gotta Have Milk, which runs the championship, said that it created the Milk Cup “to provide women with more opportunities to succeed in esports. It’s a space designed for women to compete at the highest level, for serious money.”
In a post-tournament press panel, Vader said, “[Our win at Milk Cup] shows you can be your true self and not be apologetic about it. There are spaces for everybody, so never give up,” per Esports Insider.
“It felt crazy to lift that trophy,” Vader said, “to prove people wrong in a sense, and really show that anybody can participate in esports. Don’t let people stop you. Don’t let comments get to your head. Believe in yourself.”
The trans-identified male’s win at the women’s-only event drew backlash on social media, with the Women’s Rights Network writing, “In a sport where women have struggled to gain a foothold what a kick in the teeth to see 50% of the top prize going to a male.”
“Dude won 80 grand by pretending to be a woman,” wrote Youtuber Cody Garrett, better known by the username Donut Operator.
“The slogan for this competition is ‘May the Best Woman Win.’ One of the winners, the person on the left, is a man. He just won tens of thousands of dollars,” wrote The Post Millennial editor-at-large Andy Ngo.