Entertainment

Lava Ran Through NYC at the Fortnite Level Up Event

Relive the best moments from Ninja and iKON’s Fortnite Galaxy gaming session.

Crowds watching the Fortnite Tournament at Samsung 837

Crowds watch the action at the sold-out Fortnite Tournament at Samsung 837

Right on the heels of the Galaxy S10 release and the debut of the sick iKONIK outfit and Scenario emote, Samsung held a Fortnite gaming session where it debuted the never-before-played island (inside Fortnite Creative). Hundreds of gamers dropped into the event for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to test their Fortnite mobile gameplay with the most-followed Twitch streamer, Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, and K-pop sensation iKON. Here are some of our favorite moments from the exclusive gaming event.

Fans camped out overnight at Samsung 837 to see Ninja, iKON and for a sneak peek at the
Creative island, set in doomsday NYC.

Reveal of the top-secret Creative island

Samsung debuted its own Fortnite Creative island, designed by up-and-coming map designer BluDrive just for the event. Now available to the public, the post-apocalyptic island is riddled with thrilling features. BluDrive included famous New York City landmarks like Central Park and dialed up the chaos with lava rivers, collapsed bridges and eerily abandoned subway stations. The island even includes the Samsung 837 building, a feature that BluDrive is especially proud of recreating to a T.

In-game shot of Fortnite players running towards Samsung 837 in the new Creative island

Our own Samsung 837 is featured in the new Fortnite Creative island

In-game shot of a players trekking through a river of lava in the new Fortnite Creative island

The new post-apocalyptic Fortnite Creative island has gripping features like lava rivers and dangling semi-trucks

In-game shot of a player navigating the NYC subway in the new Fortnite Creative island

Players found easter eggs in the game like the 23rd Street subway stop, one of the closest train stations to the actual tournament

People playing Fortnite in Battle Royale mode and some Samsung Galaxy S10+ smartphones getting set up for finals round

Left: Players played in Battle Royale format in qualifiers round, Right: Galaxy S10+ smartphones set up for the finals round

A departure from the typical Battle Royale format

After the qualifying round in the standard Battle Royale format, 12 finalists were placed into groups of four. Players battled it out in mobile gameplay in an attack vs.defend format for the final round. Teams played on a Galaxy S10+ for a total of three rounds, and each group played one round defending two devices with Ninja and then two rounds attacking the devices with a member of iKON.

“Ninja’s one of the best gamers in the world, but I feel like I have an advantage because I play specifically on mobile, four hours a day.”

– Aidan Fay, 13, a winner in the qualifying round

One of the youngest players in the final round, 13-year-old Aidan Fay, had to face-off against Ninja alongside his team, but he wasn’t intimidated by playing against a superstar. “Ninja’s one of the best gamers in the world, but I feel like I have an advantage because I play specifically on mobile, four hours a day.”

Fortnite Tournament winners from left to right: Samuel Hatch, Cyril Porter, Bradley Sykes, Ninja, Jhonn Lopez

Fortnite Tournament winners from left to right: Samuel Hatch, Cyril Porter, Bradley Sykes, Ninja, Jhonn Lopez

Ninja on stage with Chanwoo and members of iKON for the gaming panel discussion

iKON joined Ninja on stage for the panel to discuss the future of gaming along with latest iKONIK outfit and emote

The awesome combination of gaming and K-Pop

The excitement and screams from the crowd were deafening as iKON took the stage for the panel discussion — so loud that the moderator struggled to ask questions over the roar. When asked if they were impressed with the iKON-inspired outfit and new Scenario emote (based off by their chart-topping single “Love Scenario”), Chanwoo said, “I loved how they made the dance come to life and we’re so thrilled to see how it came out.” Ninja also shared his thoughts on the evolution of gaming, saying, “I love how gaming is more accessible. You don’t need a console…anyone can play Fortnite for free.”

“I loved how they made the dance come to life and we’re so thrilled to see how it came out.”

– Chanwoo, member of iKON

Bobby from iKON raps a few verses before the rest of iKON members join him on stage

iKON took the stage to perform a few songs including “Love Scenario” in front of elated fans

That time iKON performed to a crowd of screaming fans

After the panel, stagehands hastily broke down the set before a very lucky crowd got a glimpse of iKON’s first time touring the states. All seven members took the stage with a swagger usually reserved for sold-out arena performances. They performed a few numbers, including their #1 hit “Love Scenario”, while captivated fans sang along to every…single…word.

The winner of the dance competition shows off his version of the Fortnite iKONIK emote

Winner of the dance competition, Tenzin Jhangchub, shows off some fresh moves

Fans danced like they meant it

Throughout the event, gamers and spectators got a chance to create their own IRL emote showing off their best dance moves. Ninja and iKON’s Chanwoo watched tons of entries, from flossing to freestylin, and selected their favorite. Tenzin Jhangchub, the winning dancer, got a meet-and-greet with Ninja and iKON, and also walked away with a brand-new Galaxy S10+.

Now it’s your turn to
level up

Don’t let poor CPU performance cause sudden frame drops in your next battle. The Galaxy S10+ is one of Samsung’s most powerful gaming phones yet, with a lightning-fast 855 Snapdragon processor, an immersive Quad HD 2K display and an All-Day Intelligent Battery* that automatically optimizes power based on how you play.

Back of a prism white Galaxy S10 phone, with the front of a black Galaxy S10 phone slightly overlaying on top

Galaxy S10+

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*Based on average battery life under typical usage conditions. Average expected performance based on typical use. Actual battery life depends on factors such as network, features selected, frequency of calls, and voice, data, and other application-usage patterns. Results may vary.