Editorials
How to Fix Fortnite Problems & Errors
This is how you can fix common Fortnite problems on Mac, PC, iPhone or iPad, PS4 and Xbox One and on Nintendo Switch. We’ll show you how to fix connection problems in Fortnite Battle Royale and how to solve other issues that can stop your play or progress. We also share a list of known issues and where to look to see if the Fortnite Battle Royale servers are down.
This guide covers Fortnite Battle Royale for all systems. It’s common for Fortnite Battle Royale updates to take Fortnite servers down for a while, but it’s not normally hours long.
One of the biggest Fortnite Battle Royale problems is that you cannot use your Epic account from PS4 on the Nintendo Switch. That means if you bought the Fortnite Battle Pass Season 4 on PS4, you cannot use it on Fortnite Battle Royale for the Switch.
Is Fortnite Down?
Is Fortnite down? That’s a question we hear when players experience errors and cannot connect or find matches on Fortnite Battle Royale. Sometimes there is a problem with the Fortnite servers, but other times it could be a problem with your connection or with your install.
We routinely see Fortnite Battle Royale down when a new content update is taking place. This can happen when a new patch arrives, but some patches don’t require downtime.
Downtime for the v4.4 Content Update has begun.
Find out what’s on the way in the Patch Notes: https://t.co/oJT1YPmXHR— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) June 19, 2018
You can check to see if there are Fortnite Battle Royale server problems on the Epic Games Status Page. This official source will let you know if there are any specific issues or problems. You may also see them show up earlier on reddit or on Twitter where users can voice concerns faster than the official status page will appear.
How to Fix Fortnite Error 0
If you see “Please restart your client, error 0” when playing Fortnite Battle Royale, you can try to fix this on your own. This error prevents you from matchmaking and is most common right as you are about to join the bus.
On reddit, users recommend performing a scan on your computer. This is not a fix from Epic Games, but you can try the following.
- Open the Start Menu of Windows.
- Type cmd in the search box.
- Right click on cmd and choose Open as Administrator.
- Paste sfc /scannow
- Let the scan complete and restart your computer.
Once that is complete, you should be able to play again. If this doesn’t fix the problem, you may need to re-install the game or you should reach out to Epic Games for help.
How to Fix Fortnite Lag
How to fix Fortnite Battle Royale problems on your own.
Do you find yourself losing games due to Fortnite Battle Royale lag? If so you should start looking at your home network or your mobile connection before you blame Epic Games.
The first thing to do is run a speedtest on the device you are using the play Fortnite Battle Royale. If this looks slow you know there is an issue with your home connection or with the connection to your router.
- Plug in to a wired connection if possible. This can solve many instances of Fortnite Battle Royale lag.
- Move closer to your router. If you can’t plug in, you should try to move your router so you have a better connection.
- Stop using a VPN. If you are using a VPN to try to play Fortnite Battle Royale while at school, it could be slowing you down. Turn it off at home.
You may also want to make sure three ports are unblocked. Epic Games recommends making sure ports 80, 443 and 5222 are unblocked. You can do this on the Windows Firewall or on your router.
Epic Games also recommends switching to OpenDNS or Google DNS to fix network problems.
Another step is to restart your router and your modem and then try to play again and see if that solves the problems. This is a good step to take before you go poking into settings.
How to Fix Fortnite V-Buck Problems
If you purchase V-Bucks in Fortnite Battle Royale and you don’t get them, you will need to contact the store you purchased them from or email Fortnite Battle Royale support. You can use this form to request a refund from Epic Games.
Keep in mind that V-Bucks do not transfer between systems, so you will not see the same V-Bucks balance on all systems you play on, even if you link your accounts. Thankfully the skins and items you buy will transfer over.
Do not enter your account info to get free V-Bucks. Here’s the truth about free V-Bucks in Fortnite Battle Royale.
How to Fix Fortnite Battle Royale Skins Syncing to Other Platforms
If your skins and other items that you purchased in game are not showing up on other platforms, you need to make sure your Epic Games account is linked to your accounts on iOS, Mac, PC, PSN and Xbox Live. This can be confusing to setup the first time, but once they are linked you should be good to go.
Use this guide to gets started linking your accounts to Epic Games. that guide is for the Xbox, but you can use the same page to link your account.
How to Report Fortnite Battle Royale Cheaters
If you run into Fortnite Battle Royale cheaters, you can report them to Epic Games. This includes users who are playing with bad behavior, cheating or teaming you should take video or screenshots and report them to Epic Games. Here is the email form to use to start the conversation.
How to Fix Fortnite PS4 Problems
If you have trouble playing Fortnite Battle Royale on PS4, you should try the following steps to get the game working again. Both are tasks you can do on your own, but the second one will take some time.
- Clear your PS4 Cache. Power down the PS4 completely, unplug the power cable and let sit for 2 minutes. Plug it back in, turn it on and let it download and install content.
- Uninstall Fortnite Battle Royale, restart the console and then re-install Fortnite Battle Royale. This could take a while as the game will need to download from PSN again.
If problems still exist, you should reach out to Epic Games for more help.
How to Fix Fortnite Xbox Problems
On the Xbox One, there are three steps to take to fix problems on your own. This will take a little time, but it can solve the issue without waiting for Epic Games support.
- Clear the Xbox Cache. Shut the Xbox One off, unplug the console for two minutes and then restart the system for a full reboot. If you have an external power brick wait for the light to go to orange.
- Check for updates. Go to My Games & Apps and then scroll down to updates and install any pending updates.
- If those fail, you need to uninstall Fortnite Battle Royale, restart your system and install it again.
The Fortnite Battle Royale game is large, so downloading it to install will take a while.
How to Fix Fortnite Problems on Mac
One of the biggest Fortnite problems on Mac is that you cannot play the game with good performance. Fortnite isn’t a super resource intensive game, but you do need a decently powered Mac to play. The minimum system requirements are:
- Intel HD 4000
- Core i3 2.4 Ghz
- 4 GB RAM
- Mac OS X Sierra
Your Mac must also run Metal, which you can check by looking at this list. If your Mac meets or exceeds these requirements and you still experience lag, you should try restarting your Mac and quitting programs you aren’t using. This can free up system resources for better performance.
Another thing that you can try, is uninstalling Fortnite Battle Royale on Mac and re-installing it. This won’t always fix issues, but it can help solve some problems.
In June 2018 there is a trend of Fortnite Mac problems including not being able to open the game or Fortnite Battle Royale crashing on Mac constantly. This may be tied to the latest update and, unfortunately, you will likely need to wait for an update before you can reliably play. Here is a thread on Epic Games about the issues.
Fortnite Battle Royale Error 6 & Error 0
If you see Fortnite Battle Royale error 6 or error 0, these are matchmaking problems or connection problems. Both of these are on Epic Game’s end of things and you cannot fix them yourself. You should check the Fortnite Battle Royale status page and look at the Fortnite Battle Royale Twitter account for more information.
Nintendo Switch Fortnite Problems
There are two major Nintendo Switch Fortnite Problems so far. Unfortunately you cannot do much to fix these on your own. That said, you should be aware of the issues and what is happening.
The biggest issue is a problem for PS4 players who cannot bring their Epic account from PS4 to the Nintendo Switch. This means if you bought the Battle Pass or have a lot of gear on PS4, you cannot bring it over to the Switch. Unlinking your account doesn’t fix the problem. At this point the only statement from Epic is:
“If you have your Epic ID associated with a PSN account, or if you had previously linked a PSN account, you will be restricted from playing on other consoles. This restriction is placed by Sony, and cannot be circumvented by removing linked accounts or contacting Epic support.
There is no statement from Epic regarding this issue. Please be patient while this issue is investigated.”
The only thing you can do for now is to make a new account to play on Switch. Epic and Sony are pointing fingers at each other, so it’s not clear exactly who is at fault here. Hopefully we will see a resolution soon.
The other big problem with Fortnite on the Switch is that it’s not optimized well for some players. If you see lots of pop in or even a “software closed because an error occurred” message you will need to wait for an update to the game or to the Nintendo Switch servers.
How to Fix Other Fortnite Problems
There are many other Fortnite Battle Royale problems that you may run into. You should try restarting the device you are playing on. If that fails, try uninstalling the game and re-installing it. These steps will fix most issues, even on Mac and iOS.
If that fails you can email Fortnite Battle Royale support with as much information as possible to find a solution to your problem.
Get the Skins & Loot Before They Are Gone | ||||||
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If you want the Fortnite Battle Royale skins, loot and gear that are part of the Season 3 Battle Pass, you need to complete these tiers while this season is in progress. Once Fortnite Battle Royale Season 3 ends on April 30th, you will no longer be able to get these items, even if you keep playing. This is a limited time offer and after it ends you won't be able to get the John Wick Fortnite Battle Royale skin, new gliders, the Rust Lord outfit, new icons, emoticons and XP boosts that are connected to this season. You can see some of the Fortnite Battle Royale Season 3 Battle Pass rewards in the video above. You can browse through the rewards in the game or on the Fortnite website. | ||||||
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