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Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 2 Key Art
Image: Epic Games

Are Fortnite servers down?

Wait, is Fortnite down?

There are only two reasons why you may be experiencing Fortnite server issues: either the Fortnite servers are down, or you’re experiencing technical issues.

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If Fortnite truly is down, you need to confirm that it is with a reliable source. Once you’ve determined that it’s either on Epic Games’ side or not, you can get to work trying connection fixes on your end.

How to check if Fortnite servers are down

When experiencing Fortnite server issues, the first thing I recommend doing is checking reliable sources to determine if the Fortnite servers are down. After that, you can confidently try a few fixes on your end to get yourself right back into Fortnite.

Check if Fortnite is down

The best place to check if Fortnite is down is Fortnite Status on Twitter/X and Downdetector. Fortnite Status is very active and transparent with bugs, errors, and server crashes. It’s my go-to spot for all Fortnite issues.

If you’re not seeing anything on Fortnite status yet, check the Fortnite Downdetector page. Here, you’ll see an active user-reported graph of Fortnite outages. You can also scroll to the bottom to see comments from players about what issues they’re experiencing.

Downdetector is great for getting a read on whether your Fortnite problems are happening to other players in other parts of the world or if they are exclusive to you.

Related: How To Turn On Visual Audio in Fortnite – Post UI Change

Restart the game and your device

If there aren’t any reports of Fortnite being down for anyone else, it’s likely that Fortnite is only down for you. In this case, the first thing I recommend doing is restarting your game and your device. Here’s how to restart the Launcher itself:

  • Open the system tray at the bottom-right corner and right-click Epic Games Launcher.
  • Select ‘Exit’.
  • Wait a few minutes.
  • Relaunch the Epic Games Launcher and open Fortnite.

A simple refresh of the game, launcher, and your device is often enough to clear any background applications that may have been interfering. It’s a basic fix, but it oftentimes works.

Every time I give this kind of advice, I also recommend power cycling your device to get the best refresh. To do this, shut off your device completely. Then, pull the power cable from the outlet, wait 30 seconds, and plug it back in. Boot it back up and try logging into Fortnite.

Check your internet

If restarting and power cycling don’t work, you need to check your internet connection. Faulty internet is the most common problem with Fortnite errors.

First, ensure that the device you’re playing Fortnite on has a strong internet connection. If you’re on WiFi, check that your router is functional. If either of these things is broken, you won’t be able to play Fortnite.

If possible, I recommend running an ethernet cable from your router to your device. This will give you the most stable connection possible. Finally, ensure there isn’t a power outage in your neighborhood, as that has stopped me from playing Fortnite a few times.

Verify your Fortnite files

Verify Files Fortnite
Screenshot: PC Invasion

After restarting the game and checking your internet, if you are still experiencing Fortnite problems, try verifying your files. To do this, go to Fortnite in your library on the Epic Games Store. Click the three dots and select Manage. Then, select Verify Files.

Your device will automatically verify your Fortnite files and remove anything that shouldn’t be there. This is a great way to quickly get rid of bugs and errors.

Delete and reinstall Fortnite

My last piece of advice is to delete and reinstall Fortnite. Sometimes, a game’s files are too far gone, and this may be the case for you. Delete Fortnite and reinstall it, and you should be able to get back into the game.


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Author
Image of Thomas Cunliffe
Thomas Cunliffe
Thomas has been a writer in the games industry since 2021 and considers himself a connoisseur of all things Nintendo, Blizzard, and Marvel. Since amassing 152,000+ followers on a Facebook page about Diddy Kong with a backward hat, Thomas has become a trusted voice in the gaming community across publications such as PC Invasion, AOTF, and Gfinity. His greatest achievements include catching every Pokémon, completing (almost) every quest in World of Warcraft, and naming his dog 'Mass Effect 3.' Thomas is extraordinarily passionate about the video game industry and its community. He enjoys writing about a wide variety topics, including popular games like Destiny 2, Fortnite, and WoW, as well as the latest Indie titles.
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Noah Nelson
From his early days of blog-style music, movie, and game reviews to working as the Esports Writer at Coastline Community College, Noah Nelson now works fulltime as a Staff Writer for Attack of the Fanboy and PC Invasion. He has been helping gamers everywhere with Destiny 2 god rolls, Warzone 2 DMZ missions, and collectibles in any indie game for over a year and a half. His Bachelor's Degree in English Rhetoric and Composition with a minor in Journalism from CSULB has shaped him to be a strong writer and editor. His fondest gaming memory is playing Sly Cooper 2 after begging his mom (for hours) to play it before his birthday and he still cries myself to sleep remembering the time he accidentally saved over his 99% completion save file in Kingdom Hearts 2.
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Anyka Pettigrew
Anyka Pettigrew has been a Staff Writer for PC Invasion since November 2023 and a Contributing Writer since February 2023. She is a Canadian graduate of a Bachelor of Arts degree who has been writing in games journalism for four years. Anyka is an avid guides writer but also enjoys writing anything from news pieces, to reviews, and even opinion pieces. Having a never-ending passion for video games for as long as she can remember got her into a plethora of genres like action adventure, RPGs, horror, survival etc. Some of her favorite franchises are God of War, Persona, The Last of Us, Zelda, and Resident Evil. She also enjoys reading fantasy and sci-fi books, as well as drawing digital art. Anyka also regularly listens to podcasts on gaming news from 'Kinda Funny Games', and 'Play, Watch, Listen'.