THE Fortnite Championship Series, or FNCS, is gearing up for its first Major for 2025, as the play-ins are starting today. FNCS 2025 comes with a revamped format based on divisional cups, followed by Majors throughout the year, each consisting of four stages.
![[Fortnite FNCS 2025 format: EU & NAC tournament bracket.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/fortnite-fncs-2025-format.png?strip=all&w=960)
Here’s everything you need to know about the FNCS 2025 format and schedule. We look into the prize pot, format starting with the overall structure of the FNCS Majors and how to qualify for each. The FNCS 2025 is bringing a staggering prize pool of $8million this year, distributed across all Major events in each region and the Global Championship.
![[Illustration of the Fortnite FNCS 2025 Divisional Cups schedule.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/fortnite-fncs-2025-divisional-cups.png?strip=all&w=960)
That’s up by almost half a million from last year’s edition of Fortnite’s top esports tournament. This year, the FNCS is being played in Trios, a change from last year’s Duos format. Trios means that there are 99 players on the Battle Royale map at the start of a match, playing in 33 teams of 3 players each.
Each FNCS Major consists of Play-In Stage, Group Stage, Last Chance Qualifier, and the Major Finals. During the Play-In Stage, players who have reached Division 1 in the Divisional Cups of their respective region can team up in trios to compete for a spot in the Group Stage.
Play-Ins take place over two days, during which teams play 10 matches each day with a cumulative leaderboard. The top trios on the leaderboard advance to the Group Stage. For the Europe (EU) and North America Central (NAC) regions, that’s the top 99 teams, and for all other regions - the top 66 trios.
