How Did Bugha Get His Name?

If you don't recognize the username "Bugha" yet, you will soon.

At the very first Fortnite World Cup Solo Championship held in New York City this past August, sixteen-year-old Kyle Giersdorf, also known as Bugha, took home the number one spot. The junior in high school was also the recipient of the $3 million cash prize, which would be a huge sum of money for anyone, but seems especially lavish for a junior in high school.

The prize money is cool and all, but you probably have some questions about that name, too. For example: where did Bugha get his unusual gamer tag from?

It turns out the name "Bugha" has a bit of a sentimental meaning for Giersdorf. He explained that when he was just a baby, his grandfather would say "bugha, bugha, bugha," to him in order to get him to smile. This affectionate game really stuck with Giersdorf, and when it came time for him to pick a gamer tag of his own, he decided to go with the term of endearment.

As Giersdorf comes off of the high of his victory in New York, we're sure his grandfather would be proud of all he's managed to accomplish at such a young age. And the gamer tag he's chosen to identify himself with is a nice way to honor his grandfather. Giersdorf has also stated that the rest of his family has been a positive influence on his gaming career. His parents were supportive of his hobby and, when he explained to them that he could actually make a job out of playing Fortnite, they were supportive of his decisions.

And surprisingly, Bugha hasn't been playing that long, either. In an interview, the Pennsylvania native told Jimmy Fallon that he's been playing Fortnite for just two years, and has only been playing competitively for one year. He generally plays for about six hours a day during school days but puts more time in during the summer and weekends. It looks like his time practicing has paid off big time, as he is now the 2019 Fortnite World Cup Solo champion.

Anyway, the next time you hear "Bugha," now you'll know what it means.