Fortnite servers down: Matchmaking error irks fans; how long is downtime, when will servers be back and how to fix issue

Fortnite servers are down as Chapter 7, Season 4 (v42.00) update releases today and matchmaking was disabled before the scheduled downtime.

Updated on: Aug 20, 2026, 12:04:44 IST

By Shuvrajit Das Biswas

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Fortnite servers are down as Chapter 7, Season 4 (v42.00) update releases today and matchmaking was disabled before the scheduled downtime. Epic Games' Fortnite had posted about the upcoming update slated for August 20.

Fortnite servers were down for a scheduled update to the game. (Unsplash)

“[ R E A L I T Y . . . R E B O O T S / / A U G U S T . . 2 0 ],” they'd written.

Those familiar with the game posted about matchmaking being disabled and noted that servers would soon face downtime. “Matchmaking is now disabled in preparation for the v42.00 update downtime! Servers will go offline in 30 minutes,” one wrote. Another added “The #Fortnite Ch7, Season 4 (v42.00) update releases today, downtime begins in 30 minutes! Matchmaking is now being disabled.”

Also Read | How to get the Kernel Hearts Fernet skin for free in Fortnite: Epic Games Store step-by-step guide

However, not everyone was aware of what's going on and many reported outages with Fortnite, rather than a scheduled downtime. At the time of writing, Downdetector reports on Fortnite outage spiked to over 500 and hover over 300 as of now. The outage tracking site noted gamers were facing issues since 1:54am ET.

Fortnite down: Users complain of matchmaking error

Fortnite users complained they were facing matchmaking errors. “#Fortnite is Down-time now, this code means u cant play at all so yea i cant even sleep either,” one noted, sharing a screenshot.

Another added “NOOOOOOOO Fortnite locked down before I could get v bucks to buy the rest of the DJ bonus pass skins the payment page kept crashing over the last couple hours, she’s my fave character, I’m gutted.” Yet another said “Fortnite servers are down and you know what that means the season is officially over update is live and overdrive kicks off in a few hours.”

How long are Fortnite servers down? When will game resume

Fortnite servers are expected to be down for 4-6 hours as they roll out the ‘Override’ update. As per reports, server maintenance officially began at 2:00am ET and thus, Fortnite servers are expected to be back between 6:00am ET and 8:00am ET.

Gamers also posted similar information on X. “The servers are completely down. The game is essentially out of service for 5-6 hours,” one wrote, while another added “Fortnite service will be down for 5 hours.”

Fortnite matchmaking error: How to fix issue

While matchmaking is currently disabled for scheduled server maintenance, here's how gamers can try and fix the issue if they keep facing the same problem once servers are back up.

If one faces Matchmaking Error #1, they should check the server status first. If servers are up and running, gamers should restart the game and launcher, toggle matchmaking region or fill settings, or flush the DNS on PC.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shuvrajit Das Biswas
Shuvrajit has over seven years of experience covering US, India, and world news. An English Literature postgraduate from Jadavpur University, Shuvrajit started off covering entertainment, gaming and all things pop culture. There were brief periods away from the media industry, with short stints in content marketing, ed-tech and academic editing. However, the newsroom beckoned and over the last few jobs, Shuvrajit has exceedingly focused on team functioning as well, including tracking news and assigning tasks, working on everyday breaking news, framing detailed coverage plans, and creating immersive and data-driven stories. In his time as a digital journalist, he has covered a Lok Sabha election, multiple state elections, Union Budgets and award ceremonies. He has also helped in planning content for company event panels in the past. For work, Shuvrajit enjoys dabbling with data visualization, editing tools, and AI chatbots and attempts to incorporate AI workflows in everyday tasks. He is deeply interested in geopolitics, sports, films and music. Prompting is a new fascination for Shuvrajit now. Apart from that, he can be found doom-scrolling, sharing memes, or cheering on his favorite football team.Read More

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