Fortnite Coaches Reportedly Being Hired by Parents to Help Kids Excel at the Game

Step aside sports instructors and maths tutors, parents are now looking for newer experiences for their children. According to a new report, some families are spending their money on Fortnite coaches to help their children become better at the popular online game. Epic Games' battle royale sensation Fortnite is one of the most popular games around the globe right now and people are investing in coaches in the same way they would for academics and sports. As per the latest report, parents are ready to spend anywhere between $10 (roughly Rs. 700) to $20 (roughly Rs. 1,400) per hour so that their children can level up and become better Fortnite players.

A Wall Street Journal report says that several parents are shelling out money to pay private Fortnite: Battle Royale coaches to help children excel at the video game. The folks at WSJ talked to parents who have paid for private Fortnite lessons for their children and found that some of them hoping that their children will turn their hobbies into gaming careers, a college scholarship, and even get Fortnite developer Epic Games' $100 million (roughly Rs. 687 crores) prize.

JD Giles and his 10-year-old son Blake look forward to their gaming sessions, WSJ reports. Giles recently sought the help of a coach, paying $45 (roughly Rs. 3,100) for three one-hour sessions, alongside committing to at least three more for himself and his son. He believes that the investment has started to pay off. "Within one week, I actually got a solo win," Giles said. "The other dads I play with congratulated me. I earned a little credibility with my son and his friends - and my wife and daughter made fun of me," he said. In another case, Nick Mennen, a software developer from Cedar Park, Texas, told WSJ that his 12-year-old son, Noble, struggled to win on the highly competitive Fortnite landscape. "Now he'll throw down 10 to 20 wins," Mennen said.

Fortnite has become such a social phenomenon for people of all ages that even young kids are needing to get their status up on the game, as well as, prompt parents to pay for the coaches. Parents usually find Fortnite coaches via social media or on sites such as Gamer Sensei and Bidvine. The charges go up to $50 (roughly Rs. 3,400) depending on the number of hours and lessons. Ally Hicks, a project manager from Winchester, England, was said to have paid $50 for four hours of lessons from a professional Fortnite coach so that her 10-year-old son could improve his skills in the popular game. "There's pressure not to just play it but to be really good at it," Hicks was quoted as saying. "You can imagine what that was like for him at school."

Interestingly, the new trend has also surprised Fortnite coaches. Until now, usually "adult hobbyists and older teenagers aspiring to go professional" sought the help of the coaches. But now, they are getting calls from parents who do not want to let their children fall behind.