Fortnite Faces Major Outage, Matchmaking Errors Hit Gamers

NEW DELHI, India — Fortnite experienced significant downtime on Saturday, frustrating thousands of players who reported matchmaking errors and black screens during gameplay. The issues coincided with the launch of the highly anticipated Death Star Sabotage fight.

The game’s support team confirmed on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that many users were seeing errors when attempting to join the new game mode. “Players may be seeing matchmaking errors when trying to enter the early Death Star Sabotage fight,” the statement said.

In response to the complaints, Epic Games suggested a temporary solution. “In the meantime, entering another game mode and switching back to Death Star Sabotage may help resolve this,” the company advised.

The matchmaking issues, which include various error codes and the dreaded black screen, are typically a result of server overload, network problems, or glitches on the player’s device, according to Epic Games.

Scheduled server maintenance began at 2:30 PM ET, as indicated by downdetector, which often leads to matchmaking being disabled during live events or season transitions.

Gamers are also advised to check their internet connection. Factors such as unstable connectivity, high ping rates, and improper DNS configurations could lead to matchmaking failures. In some cases, outdated or corrupted game files can disrupt gameplay, especially following updates.

To resolve these errors, players may restart their devices or verify game files. For console users, checking date and time settings is crucial to ensure proper server sync.

Players seeking real-time information about server status can visit the Epic Games status page at https://status.epicgames.com. If servers are undergoing maintenance, players may have to wait 4 to 6 hours for restoration.

The saga of Fortnite’s server issues serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by online gaming platforms during major updates.