Fortnite Faces Major Global Outage, Players Left Frustrated

NEW YORK, March 29, 2025 — Fortnite, the widely successful online video game developed by Epic Games, encountered a significant global server outage on March 28, leaving players frustrated and unable to access the game. Reports of matchmaking failures, login issues, and problems selecting games flooded social media platforms as gamers expressed their discontent.

Epic Games acknowledged the widespread outage shortly after it began, emphasizing their commitment to resolving the issues. “We’re working to fix an issue where players are unable to matchmake or select games in the lobby. We’ll provide an update once this has been resolved,” an Epic Games spokesperson stated.

As of 8:47 a.m. ET on March 29, the problems persisted, affecting not just casual players but also major esports events. Tournaments such as the NAW Solo Cash Cup and the OCE Div Cup Final faced postponements due to players’ inability to log in and compete.

According to Downdetector, the spike in outage reports began at around 10:30 p.m. ET on March 28. While Epic Games made attempts to communicate the ongoing situation, updates remained vague, offering little assurance to their dedicated community. Players took to social media, humorously lamenting their situation. One player tweeted, “I immediately touched grass for the first time in over three years; I got a job. I started talking to my family again. I hate it, please just fix the game.”

The outage was particularly unfortunate timing, as it occurred just days after the launch of Fortnite’s third OG season and mere hours ahead of an anticipated crossover event with Mortal Kombat, set to debut on April 1. John Doe, a dedicated Fortnite player, expressed his thoughts: “It’s disappointing. I was really looking forward to the new season, and now this happens. Epic needs to get this sorted out quickly so we can enjoy the new content.”

By mid-afternoon on March 29, Epic Games reported that they had resolved the matchmaking and Discover lobby issues, allowing players to return to the game. They tweeted, “Matchmaking and Discover lobby issues are fixed! Thank you for your support, and we’ll continue to monitor Fortnite services to ensure everything remains stable.” This announcement rejuvenated the player base, eager to dive back into their gaming experience.

In response to the outages, players remain hopeful for potential compensation, which Epic Games has historically offered in similar situations. Such compensation could manifest as in-game currency or experience points, helping to ease the disappointment felt by the community during the downtime.

The ongoing success of Fortnite is highly contingent on server reliability, especially with the game’s significant esports presence. Stability is essential when substantial prize pools are at stake, and any disruption can impact player engagement and the game’s overall visibility in the competitive scene.

As the game’s infrastructure continues to face challenges, Epic Games’ ability to maintain stable servers will be crucial to keeping their massive player base intact. Following the recent outage, players and industry observers alike are hopeful that the company will reinforce their commitment to server reliability in the future to sustain the health of Fortnite.