Fortnite is currently unavailable to players around the world and will remain offline for another eight hours, developer Epic Games warned.
The multiplayer game’s servers went offline at 8am UK time this morning ahead of the launch of Chapter 5, Season 2, with matchmaking being disabled a few minutes earlier.
Players are currently seeing a “Servers not responding” error message when attempting to join. Fortnite is an online-only game and requires an internet connection to play.
Epic usually takes Fortnite offline for three to four hours to safely install a major update, but this time players can expect a longer wait.
How long is Fortnite downtime?
The game will be unavailable for at least another eight hours due to “an unexpected issue during our maintenance work,” the developer announced today at 2:14 p.m.
“The team is working through this as quickly as possible and we will provide another update when we have more information,” tweeted the official Fortnite status account.
Hi everyone, an unexpected problem occurred during our maintenance and we need to extend the downtime by at least another 8 hours.
We apologize that you had to wait longer than usual to get into Chapter 5, Season 2 of Battle Royale. The team is working on this during … pic.twitter.com/gsu79mGMiJ
— Fortnite Status (@FortniteStatus) March 8, 2024
According to the current schedule, the game will have been offline for 14 hours by the time it is scheduled to open at 10pm tonight – an unprecedented amount of time.
Shutting down the game will allow developers to stress test the new version of Fortnite and ensure the servers are ready for the large number of returning players once the changes go into effect.
Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 2 Details
The update ushers in Fortnite Chapter 5, Season 2: Myths and Mortals. The new Fortnite design allows players to transform into admittedly hot-looking Greek gods. Battles take place on a revamped map featuring iconic locations from Greek mythology, including Mount Olympus, the hellish underworld called Hades, and a war arena called Brawler’s Battleground.
Players will run around as thunderbolt-wielding Zeus, fiery Cerberus, and the goddess Artemis, among other deities. Instead of bows and arrows, these gods carry assault rifles and shotguns. They also gain the ability to temporarily fly through the wings of Icarus, allowing them to hover over the map.
With each new season comes a brand new Battle Pass that can be purchased to unlock new items, including the skins that allow you to transform into Greek gods. Later in the season, Epic will introduce the avatar Korra from the Nickelodeon animated series The Legend of Korra and Ares, the God of War.
The Myths and Mortals Battle Pass costs 950 V-Bucks and is available until the morning of May 24th.
