Parents hire video game tutors to help children improve at playing Fortnite

Online games like 'Fortnite' can attract big audiences and millions of dollars in prize winnings. Parents tell the Wall Street Journal they are paying for Fortnite tutors to help boost kids' confidence and potential for future scholarships.

Credit: Terrin Waack

Credit: Terrin Waack

Online games like 'Fortnite' can attract big audiences and millions of dollars in prize winnings. Parents tell the Wall Street Journal they are paying for Fortnite tutors to help boost kids' confidence and potential for future scholarships.

Parents are getting in on the hype surrounding the online game Fortnite by reportedly hiring tutors to teach their kids to become better players.

The Wall Street Journal found several families that have hired tutors to help their kids get better at video games in sessions that cost over $50 an hour.

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Nick Mennen, a software developer in Cedar Park, Texas told the Wall Street Journal that he invested in video game lessons for his 12-year-old son, Noble, because he hopes it will set up his son for scholarships down the road.

Some colleges offer financial incentives to "gamers" to join tournament teams, WSJ reported.

Mennen said his son is taking about six hours of lessons a month, and he is winning more frequently.

Fortnite's basic concept involves 100 gamers who are dropped on a virtual island and fight to be the last player standing.

The game now boasts over 125 million players around the world and offers over $100 million in prize money.

Fortnite developers said they plan to hold a first-of-its-kind World Cup for the game in 2019.