Epic Games has confirmed that Fortnite is currently offline, with players unable to log in as the developer investigates issues internally.
UPDATE 12/29, 11:12 PM: According to Epic Games, Fortnite servers were restored as of 6:50 PM ET.
Epic Games has announced widespread issues for Fortnite players, with the battle royale currently unavailable to play at the time of writing. Fortnite is one of the biggest online video games in the world, with millions logging in to play and battle against each other each and every day. The game is currently celebrating the launch of Fortnite Chapter 3, which released earlier this December, adding new features, skins, and a new map.
2021 has been yet another successful year for Fortnite, with the introduction of the game’s Chapter 3 seeing a new resurgence in player numbers. While the free-to-play multiplayer has always been a titan of the genre, Fortnite has seen fluctuating numbers over the years, in part due to other battle royales like Call of Duty: Warzone serving as some tough competition. Despite this, the recent show-stopping Chapter 3 launch saw an unprecedented number of players logging in to experience the new content, with Epic revealing Chapter 3 of Fortnite had the biggest first day of a new season in the game’s history.
Announcing the news on Twitter, FortniteStatus, the official Epic Games account for Fortnite service updates, first revealed problems with login, matchmaking, and “other issues,” which were confirmed to be under investigation by Epic. Hours after this tweet, FortniteStatus went on to confirm that the game is now currently unavailable for all users. Remaining vague on the exact problems, Epic tweeted:
“Fortnite is currently unavailable and players are unable to log-in while we investigate an issue. We’ll provide more info when we have a solution to bring services back online.”
See the post on Twitter here.
Epic Games is already facing backlash from fans on Twitter, with many calling for Fortnite cosmetics to be gifted once the game is back up and running as an apology to the players. Over the festive period, Fortnite has suffered from multiple server issues, and fans have also been frustrated at long wait times to jump into a match following the launch of Chapter 3. Epic has not yet responded to those calling for compensation.
It’s currently unclear what exactly is happening at Epic Games, and what the root cause of the Fortnite problems are. It’s also yet to be revealed when the developer is expecting to once again have Fortnite back online, leaving many fans both frustrated and confused. It’s perhaps one of the worst times for Fortnite‘s servers to be down, with the holiday break continuing for many, and with the game’s latest new season having only recently started. It’s hoped more details will emerge soon, with the game hopefully returning imminently.
Source: FortniteStatus/Twitter
Lara Jackson is Lead Gaming Editor for Screen Rant, managing content across News, Features, Reviews, Previews, and Guides. Lara is a Women In Games award-nominated journalist, having previously worked in Game News covering the latest breaking stories. Lara is also recognized as one of She Plays Games’ Top 100 Influential Women in Gaming 2021, and serves as an ambassador for mental health gaming charity, Safe in Our World, as well as Features writer for gaming publication, Lost in Cult. When she’s not playing games like The Sims 4 or Animal Crossing (or writing about them), Lara is likely discussing horror games, or tweeting about her very large dog who sometimes goes viral thanks to his cryptid-like appearance. Ask Lara her favorite game and you’ll get five answers, in no particular order: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Journey, Silent Hill 2, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.
