What does ‘battle bus full’ mean in Fortnite?

Despite Epic Games’ efforts to minimize issues, you might still run into the occasional hiccup in Fortnite. If you’ve just been hit by the quirky “battle bus full” alert and you’re wondering what it means, we’ve got you covered.

You can’t technically reach the island or play for the Victory Royale without boarding the battle bus in Fortnite. So, if you’re panicking at the “battle bus full” message on your screen, we get where you’re coming from. Here’s everything you need to know about this error, along with ways to deal with it.

What is the battle bus full error in Fortnite?

The “battle bus full” message in Fortnite simply indicates there’s no space for you on the battle bus you’re trying to board. This usually happens when too many players are trying to grab a place on the server at the same time.

The error usually shows up during a patch drop when the servers are wobbly or during a popular event when there’s peak traffic, according to player reports. It may also appear due to a backend bug or if Epic is working on the servers (outage or maintenance). While there’s nothing to panic about, as it’s not an issue on your end, not being able to queue for a match can be annoying. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do except wait for Epic to fix the root cause.

Potential fixes to the battle bus full error in Fortnite

If you’re hellbent on trying to get in, there are a few workarounds you can try. However, these may not always work:

Wait for a while and then queue again

Some players have reported being able to get in when they queued after a few minutes. So, if you’ve just faced the battle bus full error, give it a little time before you hit that play button.  

Check if there’s an update

Close the game and go to your Epic Games library. If you see a pending Fortnite update, download and install it. Head back into the game and check if the issue persists.

Check your internet connection

Although it’s most likely not the case, check if your internet is working fine. For a wireless connection, try rebooting the router and modem. Also, make sure you aren’t connected to a VPN. 

Try disabling anti-virus

Whether you’re using a third-party anti-virus tool or Windows Defender, try disabling it temporarily to see if it fixes the battle bus error.

If none of these work, check for ongoing server outages. You’ll likely find similar reports from other players in the region. We recommend trying to launch Fortnite after a couple of hours or when Epic Games fixes the issue, or go for alternate game modes if they work.