How to fix the “Fortnite Server Offline” error

Fortnite servers will have their moments where they just won’t be able to keep up with the demand. Whenever Epic Games pushes new content like a season or seasonal event, new and returning players flood into the game as soon as the patch drops. This instant increase in demand causes servers to go down, causing players to receive errors like “Fortnite Server Offline.”

This error usually appears after launching Fortnite and as players try to load into the main screen during huge content releases like Chapter and Season updates. Once the error appears, you’ll either exit out of the game automatically or continue staring at the spinning wheel. In both cases, the chances of you getting into Fortnite will be close to zero unless you crackdown on what’s really going on with Fortnite.

On rare occasions, your home connection may also be the root of the “Fortnite Server Offline.” Before trying out any troubleshooting methods, you should check out if Fortnite servers are down or not. When the servers are down, none of the troubleshooting methods you’ll apply will be able to fix the problem since the ball will be on Epic’s court to fix the servers. Here’s how you can fix the “Fortnite Server Offline” error in Fortnite.

How do you fix the Fortnite Server offline error?

Check in with the servers

Epic’s official server status tracker should be your first stop to check whether Fortnite’s servers are acting up. Though this website will be up-to-date in most cases, there can also be cases where it fails to update in time when a server-related error is just developing. If the community is faster than the tracker when it comes to reporting server-wide errors, Fortnite devs usually respond to the fans through the game’s status social media account.

Community hubs like Reddit can also be valuable sources to check out since players will often be the first ones to react to a server-related error like the “Fortnite Server Offline.” Downdetector can be another alternative when it comes to checking if the servers are working fine since the website also relies on user feedback.

Restart Fortnite

If the servers are up and running, you may have gotten unlucky with a faulty connection line. The best way to troubleshoot this will be restarting Fortnite since every time you log into the game you’ll be assigned a different route/server.

Even if your first try doesn’t succeed, try restarting the for a couple of times more. If you still can’t seem to get in after two or three tries, it might be time to move onto other fixes. If you’re on PC, you may also want to restart the Epic Games Launcher as well just to cover multiple bases.

Restart your router or try out a different connection

Your ISP may struggle to keep up with the demand during prime hours where many people from your area are using the internet. ISP-related problems can also cause errors like the “Fortnite Server Offline.”

Restarting your router will allow you to potentially fix any ISP-related hiccups. While you’re restarting your router, you should also do the same for your gaming device to check all boxes at the same time.

Changing your DNS can also be beneficial before restarting your router since a faulty DNS server can also be responsible for an error like the “Fortnite Server Offline” to appear. Most players use the default DNS servers that their ISP assigns and a DNS server going down can start causing connection errors.

A more advanced method of troubleshooting your home network will be trying out a different connection. Your mobile phone’s hotspot feature will be the perfect way to accomplish this since you’ll only need to turn on the feature and connect to it with your gaming device.

If everything works one while you’re on cellular data, you may need to call your ISP and ask them to run a diagnostic on your home network. They’ll be able to monitor your connection details and see if there’s anything wrong with your connection that may be causing such an error.

Wait it out or contact Epic

If the servers are down or there’s an ongoing server-wide error, your only option will be waiting for Epic to fix its server. You can try restarting Fortnite repeatedly with the hopes of becoming one of the first players to login to the game after the servers are online again, or you can keep an eye on Fortnite Status Twitter account and spend your time in a more productive way like researching how you can become a better Fortnite player.

In rare cases where you still can’t get into Fortnite due to the “Fortnite Server Offline,” you might want to contact Epic directly through a support ticket. Make sure to mention all the troubleshooting steps you’ve tried out so far in your ticket and also send in screenshots to help the support team get a headstart on the error. You should get a response from the support team within two days.