It’s estimated that over 350 million people play the popular online video game Fortnite, a free-to-play battle royale where players fight to be the last one standing. Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and wide receiver Xavier Worthy are two of those players. Now, they’ll be paid to play it.
Ewers and Worthy announced a Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) partnership with Epic Games and Fortnite on Wednesday.
No-build Battle Royale is here! @Fortnitegame launched Zero Build Mode and me and my friends love this...check it out now! #EpicPartner #FortniteZeroBuild #Fortnite @XavierWorthy pic.twitter.com/gE8YK4jmb6
— Quinn Ewers (@QuinnEwers) June 1, 2022
“I’ve been playing Fortnite for years,” Ewers said in a video posted to Twitter, “and they just came out with the best mode yet … it’s the first thing I did today when I moved in.”
Both Ewers and Worthy have been subject of NIL discussion in the past.
Ewers, a former star quarterback at Southlake Carroll, skipped his high school senior season a year ago and enrolled early at Ohio State. That allowed him to cash in on multiple NIL deals, including a three-year partnership worth $1.4 million with GTSM, a sports marketing company that specializes in autographs for athletes.
Ewers, the former No. 1 overall recruit in the country, transferred from Ohio State to Texas in the offseason. He’s expected to battle with returner Hudson Card for the Longhorns’ starting quarterback job.
Worthy, on the other hand, reportedly turned down NIL deals facilitated from other schools to enter the transfer portal and leave Austin. Those deals were reportedly in the six-figure range.
The financial details for Ewers and Worthy’s deal with Epic Games wasn’t disclosed.
The Longhorns, in general, have been active in NIL deals. A collective group called “Horns with Heart” announced back in December that they would play 16 offensive lineman an annual $50,000 to play for the school. Shortly after, the Longhorns reeled in a recruiting class that featured over a handful of highly-touted offensive lineman, including Arlington Bowie five-star Devon Campbell.
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