Parents Are Paying $20 An Hour To Get Their Kids Fortnite Tutors

Tired of just paying for sports coaches and math tutors and music lessons? Hire Fortnite tutors for your kids

The free video game Fortnite grows in popularity every day, with 125 million players around the world. But while many parents are very used to fighting video game obsessions and screens, Fortnite is a little different: many moms and dads say that they like the teamwork, strategy, and social aspects of the game as well as its comparative lack of gore and violence. At the same time, parents are becoming all too aware that being good at Fortnite is a kind of social currency — like being good at a sport or an instrument — and kids who stink at it can feel left out.

The answer? According to The Wall Street Journal, a number of parents are turning to Fortnite tutors to help their sons and daughters excel at the game, to the tune of $10-$20 an hour.

One mom, Ally Hicks, got $50 worth of lessons for her 10-year-old son when she saw he was struggling to be competitive with his friends — and suffering socially for it.

“There’s pressure not to just play it but to be really good at it,” she told the Wall Street Journal. “You can imagine what that was like for him at school.”

Another parent, Nick Mennen, purchased his 12-year-old son a coach at $20 an hour, in hopes that he can reach a professional level or even get a college scholarship for e-sports. It might sound ridiculous, but Fortnite tournaments can have huge payouts (even $130,000) and college teams recruit.

Still another parent, Euan Robertson, says that he buys lessons for his two boys because, “I want them to excel at what they enjoy.”

Sites like Gamer Sensei allow you to pick a professional gaming coach (at different price ranges) as well as how many hours of coaching you’d like. Then, you use their software to connect with your coach and learn the ropes, no matter your skill level.

Another company that hires out video game tutors, Bidvine, said that they’ve taken on 1,400 Fortnite tutors since March of this year. And that number will likely grow along with the popularity of the game.

While video game coaching has been around for a few years and has enjoyed popularity with young adults and grown gamers, Fortnite is the first game that (at least some) parents are supportive of lessons for.

Some, like fathers Dale Federighi and JD Giles are taking lessons in addition to or even alongside their kids, so that they can play at the same level and enjoy a hobby with them, just like you might a traditional sport or musical pastime.

Sure, it’s not exactly like violin lessons or GRE prep classes. But if your kid isn’t into sports, and if they truly have a passion for gaming, hiring a Fortnite tutor suddenly doesn’t seem too ridiculous.