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  1. Games
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  3. Fortnite

Is Fortnite down? And if so then how long is the Fortnite downtime?

Guides
By Iain Wilson Contributions from Joel Franey last updated 19 March 2026

What to know if you're seeing the dreaded "Fortnite servers not responding" error

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Is Fortnite down? Season 2 Chapter 7 servers not responding screen
(Image credit: Epic Games)
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Recent updates

March 19, 2026: The Fortnite servers are under scheduled maintenance for the v40.00 Season 2 update, so will be offline for longer than usual this time.

If you're asking is Fortnite down, then you've probably tried to get online and jump into your favorite experience to see what's new in the battle royale and beyond, but have hit a snag along the way. Instead of landing on the regular lobby screen to select your game mode, you've found yourself stuck on a permanently looping loading screen bearing the dreaded message that the Fortnite servers not responding is the current issue. At the time of writing, Fortnite is down for scheduled maintenance for the next season, so it could take longer than normal to roll out the latest update and you may need to wait before you can drop on the island again.

Whether you're unable to connect, are getting specific Fortnite error codes, or have run into Fortnite scheduled downtime, we've got all of the details you need to know. Generally Epic's magnum opus is pretty stable when it comes to servers, but connection problems can still be an issue when it comes to Fortnite. That's why we've got the latest on the Fortnite servers laid out for you below.

Is Fortnite down?

Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 2

(Image credit: Epic Games)

At the time of writing the game services, login, matchmaking, and more are under maintenance, so the Fortnite servers are down. This is scheduled downtime to roll out the v40.00 update for Fortnite Season 2 of Chapter 7, and this means the disruption is likely to last longer than usual, so it could be a few hours more until you'll be able to log on again and play as normal.

🔵🔴 Downtime for v40.00 begins at 2 AM ET (6 AM UTC) with matchmaking ending shortly beforehand:https://t.co/9aeRju4Ctc https://t.co/amQ6vrfREcMarch 18, 2026

When there are issues, the main place to check for information is the @FortniteStatus Twitter feed, which details any current issues with gameplay or connectivity. It also confirms when scheduled downtime for maintenance is due to happen in advance, as well as when the Fortnite servers will be back up. Scheduled downtime normally takes place at 1am PDT / 4am EDT / 8am GMT and lasts for 2-3 hours on average, with timing aimed to minimise disruption.

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Obviously, if you're trying to play the game and can't connect, then that's a good indication of the Fortnite servers not responding. Often you'll receive a message from the game's menu screen, confirming that a known issue is taking place, and this may even indicate a rough time when the Fortnite servers are coming back up. You can also visit the Epic Games Public Status site to see what Fortnite services are currently reporting as Operational and which have issues.

Finally, if you're still having issues with the game but there is nothing being reported by Epic, you can visit the Downdetector status page for Fortnite to see if other players are experiencing similar problems. If you see a sudden spike in reports coming in then you'll know you're not alone, and it's likely only a matter of time before official word is posted on the matter.

Most importantly, if you find out that Fortnite is down then don't panic! Server downtime in infrequent and usually lasts a couple of hours at most, so you shouldn't have to spend long asking when are the Fortnite servers coming back up and you'll be back to the battle royale in no time.

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Iain originally joined Future in 2012 to write guides for CVG, PSM3, and Xbox World, before moving on to join GamesRadar in 2013 as Guides Editor. His words have also appeared in OPM, OXM, PC Gamer, GamesMaster, and SFX. He is better known to many as ‘Mr Trophy’, due to his slightly unhealthy obsession with amassing intangible PlayStation silverware, and he now has over 1,000 Platinum pots weighing down the shelves of his virtual award cabinet. He does not care for Xbox Achievements.

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