Fortnite, being a live-service, multiplayer game, will never be free of pesky error codes. That said, some of its issues are just outlandishly annoying to face, one of which happens to be the ‘Waiting in Queue’ error. Now, before you begin blaming your system or internet provider, you might want to know what the message actually implies.
What I (and most players) love the most about Fortnite is being able to queue into a competitive Battle Royale experience against real players whenever I want. Unfortunately, an error forcing you to wait in tiring queues defeats the game’s purpose of offering continuous action, barring players from entering a match quickly.
So, what really causes this error, and can it be eliminated? I’ve put together this guide to answer the queries you may have about Fortnite’s ‘Waiting in Queue’ error message.
What is the Fortnite ‘Waiting in Queue’ error?
Upon launching Fortnite and pressing the login button, players usually see a loading screen. But if the client experiences a server issue, the ‘Waiting in Queue’ message shows up on the loading screen, alongside a timer indicating when you’re expected to get in.
During immense traffic, the timer may lead to a disappointing end, showing a ‘Servers not responding’ message after a long wait. Some players are slapped with timers over 30 minutes, which is definitely not a reasonable wait time.
Why is my Fortnite queue not letting me in?
With all the excitement of a new Chapter of Fortnite, it can be hard for the servers of the game to keep up, resulting in bottlenecks.
Whenever a highly-anticipated update rolls around, a huge chunk of the player base rushes in to try all the new features that come with it. The sudden increase in demand to queue into matches can be too much for Epic’s servers to cater to.
Such server hiccups are most likely the cause players get stuck in the loading screen, staring at a dreaded ‘Waiting in Queue’ message which prevents them from playing Fortnite. Honestly, it’s painful and tiring.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do about it either.
How to fix the ‘Waiting in Queue’ error in Fortnite?
It’s a server error that only Epic can fix. You can’t really fix an error in Fortnite unless it’s on your side of things. So, the best you can do is wait for the timer to end and let you in.
If it doesn’t and leads to a ‘Servers not responding’ message, restart the game. You may be slapped with another timer, and you’ll have to wait it out as well. While you’re at it, make sure to hit the refresh button for Fortnite updates, as pending updates can cause such issues, too.
Players are usually let in after the second or third try. But if you’re still being denied entry, you’ll have to wait for Epic to fix things up.
You can check for prevailing server problems on Fortnite’s Twitter page or go to Epic Games’ dedicated server check page. If you spot ongoing maintenance or Epic’s acknowledgment of an issue affecting many, don’t bother trying to launch the game until it gets patched up—if you want to save your time.
Alternatively, you can also try restarting your system and your router. In rare cases, network outages on your side can cause various Fortnite errors, and a simple router restart should be enough to rule out that possibility.
