(Image source from: OrissaPOST)

American teenager Kyle Giersdorf on Sunday pushed everyone in shock after winning the top prize in a tournament in New York for the well-received online video game Fortnite, taking home $3 million.

The 16-year-old Giersdorf, from Pennsylvania, was one of at least 100 players vying for $30 million in total prize money, as the flourishing popularity of online and video games has drawn top-dollar investments and boosted the rising professional sport.

Giersdorf won the solo finals portion of the Fortnite World Cup, playing under the name "Bugha," by scoring 59 points, 26 more than his closest rival "psalm," according to the Fortnite World Cup Leaderboard, posted on the game's website.

"Words can't even explain it. I'm just so happy," Giersdorf said in an interview at the event at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, New York, posted by organizers on Twitter. "Everything I've done, the grind, it's all paid off. It's just insane." Giersdorf did not right away respond to a request for the statement.

Launched in 2017, Fortnite's popularity has helped Epic Games reach a $15-billion-valuation last year. It competes with other games like Electronic Arts Inc's Apex Legends and Tencent Holdings Ltd's PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. Tencent also owns a 40 percent stake in Epic Games.

Worldwide revenues from esports, or professional video game competitions, will hit $1.1 billion in 2019, an increase of 27 percent since early this year, owing to rocketing revenues from sponsorship, advertising, and media rights, according to a report released earlier this year.

Overall, the global video and electronic games market, leaving out revenues from esports, will make $152.1 billion in 2019, up 9.6 percent over last year, according to a report by NewZoo, a gaming analytics firm.

By Sowmya Sangam