If you're asking is Fortnite down, then you've probably tried to connect to the game for a session in the battle royale or a different standalone experience, but instead of reaching the familiar lobby area you're instead stuck on a permanent loading screen bearing the unwelcome message that the Fortnite servers not responding is the current issue. This means you're going nowhere for now, so you'll have to wait before you can check out the fresh Star Wars additions to the battle royale, tend to your farm animals in Lego Fortnite, or start jamming on stage in Fortnite Festival. At the time of writing, Fortnite is down for scheduled maintenance, but that should only take a short time to roll out the latest update, after which you'll then be ready to drop on the island once more.
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?
At the time of writing on May 3 the game services, login, matchmaking, and more are under maintenance, so the Fortnite servers are down. This is scheduled downtime to roll out the Star Wars v29.40 update in Fortnite Season 2 of Chapter 5, and as this is a planned outage there should only be a temporary disruption lasting a few hours maximum, after which you'll be able to log on again and play as normal.
Prepare to go back to a galaxy far, far away... Star Wars is entering the Fortnite universe soon! Downtime begins at 4 AM ET with matchmaking ending shortly beforehand. pic.twitter.com/h0vAJZ5McsMay 2, 2024
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 PST / 4am EST / 9am GMT and lasts for 2-3 hours on average, with timing aimed to minimise disruption.
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.
© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.
