I had the opportunity to chat with Cooper “Cooper” Smith, the Fortnite sensation who skyrocketed to fame by winning the Global Championship at just 16 years old. With this monumental victory, he not only earned the title of global champion but also a staggering half a million dollars. In our conversation, we delved into Cooper’s journey from getting his first earnings, the support system that helped him along the way, and what the future holds for this young professional gamer.

Your parents supported you in pursuing gaming. How did they feel about you when you first won your first Cash Cup? What was their reaction?

Cooper: I won my first Cash Cup, it was Halloween and my parents were all outside, handing out candy and I'm sitting here locked in my room playing a Cash Cup. I was a few games in, and I remember I said, “Okay if I do bad, I'm just going to go out.” I started playing and I'm like, “Woah, I’m doing really good on the leaderboard. I'm going to keep playing.” Somehow, I won my last game to win the whole cash cup. I was so stoked and when I won, I screamed, “I did it, Mom!” It was the corniest thing ever, but it was an insane moment. My parents were just so happy for me.

How do you get into playing with pros?

Cooper: The way I even got to play with somebody like Mero, for instance, was all luck. I like to say that “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” In reality, sure, I wasn't as good. I played a lot, but I didn't have a pro teammate. Mero saw the vision with me and sure I got lucky, but at the end of the day, if I didn't prepare leading up to it, then I wouldn't have had that opportunity at all.

2023 Globals was your first LAN. How did you maintain your composure? Did you feel stressed or nervous?

Cooper: I was pretty nervous loading into game one. Then Mero accidentally hit escape on his keyboard. Whenever you do that, you get kicked, and the admins won't unlock your screen. The first game we had everything built up for us, and boom, he gets kicked out. Just like that, our game was over. We were upset about it. It was just a downhill effect for us, to be honest. We ended up not qualifying on Day 1. I felt so bad because I held myself to high standards, especially with Mero. He holds me to high standards, especially when we didn't qualify, he was annoyed. He talked to me about everything. He was really just upset. I played bad, and I was super emotional. I felt so disappointed.

Going into Day 2, I had to find a way to reset and get comfortable. In all honesty, I don't know how to explain it because until you're in front of an audience or a huge group of people, the way it feels is hard to explain. I just had to stare at my monitor and lock in. I can zone it out, but it’s hard for me to do. We ended up qualifying with the first game. It's all just momentum. The second we got it, we were good.

How did winning the Global Championship impact your life initially?

Cooper: After winning Globals, I went to school for I think two or three days. People were trying to ask for autographs and following me into classes, bathrooms, everything. I mean, it was awful. I kid you not, I couldn't walk for five seconds without someone coming up to me. And don't get me wrong, it was cool, but I was like, I just can't. I do online school now.

What's something outside of Fortnite people might be surprised to know about you? Any hobbies or interests or anything that you're into outside of Fort?

Cooper: I’m starting to really get into cars. Before I never had much of an interest, I guess Fortnite has always been my “hobby”, but I've been starting to get into cars a bit thanks to Mero. I actually bought his old car from him.

What advice would you give to people who are trying to take their play to the next level?

Cooper: I think people should start living the saying “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” I'll literally say that until the day I drop. One thing I could say ties into the parental support thing. I know a lot of people who come by chat saying they can't afford a PC or their parents don't want to put X amount into a PC. I see a lot of people complaining about things like that. Don't get me wrong, it's awful and I haven't had to experience it because I had supporting parents. I feel like making the most of the situation you have will always be better than complaining about it and making that the excuse to not be great. You can always go make money mowing lawns or something.

You and Khanada are duoing together. You made it to Globals. What are you guys focusing on improving and prepping for Globals?

Cooper: The meta is going to change a lot between now and then. There are just so many things that could change. But we will be putting in work and prepping as much as possible.

With Fortnite’s partnership with BLAST, we're going to have four more years of FNCS. Can you look into the future a little bit? Do you see yourself trying to compete for as long as you can? Are you still enjoying the game as much as you used to?

Cooper: There are times when it's genuinely not enjoyable to be playing the game. What I'll always love is competing, and I don't see myself giving that up for at least another two years. And not to mention that I'm only 17, I don't want to make it sound egotistical, but I think I'm part of the future. All the pros right now, maybe in two years, might not be so good. But I think I’m going to get better and whatnot. If FNCS is still running, I'll still be running. Even if I don't love the game, I'll still be queuing up FNCS and all that. Yep. I plan on staying around for a while.

I want to thank Cooper for taking the time to speak with me! Cooper's journey is both inspiring and enlightening. It’s clear that his success is not just about his skills but also his mindset and determination. I’m excited to see where his career takes him next and how he continues to shape the future of esports. If you want to keep up with Cooper, drop him a follow on Twitter/X.

If you want more player interviews and insights on Fortnite competitive, you can follow me as well.