No, it is not an April Fools’ joke. Fortnite officially went offline on April 1, 2026 for scheduled maintenance tied to the v40.10 update, and yes, the timing is as ironic as it sounds. The good news is that this is planned downtime with a clear schedule behind it, not an unexpected outage. Here is everything confirmed by Epic Games about when the servers went down, when they come back, and what is waiting for you on the other side.\
Fortnite Server Status Right Now (April 1, 2026)
| Detail | Info |
| Current Status | Maintenance completed, servers restored |
| Downtime Start | 4 AM ET / 8 AM UTC / 9 AM BST |
| Matchmaking Disabled | 30 minutes prior (3:30 AM ET / 8:30 AM BST) |
| Scheduled Duration | 90 minutes (actual duration may vary) |
| Expected Return | Around 5:30 AM ET / 9:30 AM UTC / 10:30 AM BST |
| Update Version | v40.10 |
| Platforms Affected | PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, Android |
Servers are back online following the completion of scheduled maintenance. However, if you are still experiencing login or matchmaking issues, Epic Games confirmed and resolved a separate Logins and Matchmaking Issue at 6:11 AM UTC on April 1, which overlapped with the update window and caused brief additional delays for some players trying to reconnect immediately after maintenance ended.
Exact Downtime Schedule by Region
Whether you are playing in the US, UK, or elsewhere, here is the confirmed downtime window broken down by time zone:
| Region | Matchmaking Ends | Full Downtime Starts | Estimated Return |
| US Eastern (ET) | 3:30 AM | 4:00 AM | ~5:30 AM (may extend) |
| US Pacific (PT) | 12:30 AM | 1:00 AM | ~2:30 AM (may extend) |
| UK (BST) | 8:30 AM | 9:00 AM | ~10:30 AM (may extend) |
| Central Europe (CET) | 9:30 AM | 10:00 AM | ~11:30 AM (may extend) |
| Australia (AEST) | 5:30 PM | 6:00 PM | ~7:30 PM (may extend) |
Epic Games confirmed the schedule officially via the Fortnite Status account on X, posting: “Fingers go pew pew. Downtime for v40.10 begins at 4 AM ET (8 AM UTC) with matchmaking ending shortly beforehand.”
The Epic Games status page confirmed a scheduled duration of 90 minutes, putting the planned return at 9:30 AM UTC / 10:30 AM BST for UK players and around 5:30 AM ET for US East Coast players. However, it is worth noting that mid-season updates like this one frequently run longer than the official estimate in practice, sometimes extending to two or three hours depending on how smoothly the rollout goes. The overlapping login issue on April 1 pushed actual restoration times slightly beyond the planned window for some players and regions. Always check the Epic Games status page for live confirmation rather than relying solely on the scheduled return time.
Pre-Download Tip: Epic typically allows players to pre-download incoming patches before downtime begins. If the update was available for pre-download before 4 AM ET, installing it in advance means you can jump straight into the game the moment servers come back online rather than waiting for the download to complete after the fact.
What Platforms Are Affected?
The v40.10 update affects every platform Fortnite runs on. Epic Games confirmed the following platforms all receive the update simultaneously:
| Platform | Affected |
| PlayStation 5 | Yes |
| PlayStation 4 | Yes |
| Xbox Series X/S | Yes |
| Xbox One | Yes |
| PC (Epic Games Store) | Yes |
| Nintendo Switch | Yes |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | Yes |
| Android | Yes |
There is no staggered rollout by platform. All versions of Fortnite went offline at the same time, and all versions return together once maintenance completes.
What Services Were Down During Maintenance?
The Epic Games status page confirmed that while the Epic Games website remained operational throughout, the following Fortnite services were taken offline for maintenance:
- Game Services
- Login
- Parties, Friends, and Messaging
- Voice Chat
- Matchmaking
- Stats and Leaderboards
- Item Shop
- Fortnite Crew
- LEGO Fortnite Matchmaking
- Fortnite Festival Matchmaking
- Rocket Racing Matchmaking
Notably, Rocket League, Fall Guys, the Epic Games Store, Epic Online Services, and Unreal Engine all remained operational throughout the maintenance window.
What Happened With the Login and Matchmaking Issue?
Alongside the scheduled maintenance, Epic Games confirmed and resolved a separate login and matchmaking issue that affected players around the same window. This was a distinct incident from the planned downtime rather than an extension of it:
| Event | Time (UTC) |
| Issue identified | April 1, 5:53 AM |
| Issue resolved | April 1, 6:11 AM |
| Monitoring confirmed | April 1, 6:11 AM |
Epic Games posted: “We’ve resolved an issue with players being unable to log in to Fortnite servers. We’ll continue to monitor this to ensure logins and matchmaking have returned to normal.” The issue was relatively minor and resolved quickly within around 18 minutes of being identified, however it did cause brief additional disruption for players trying to get back in immediately after maintenance ended. The overall impact was limited compared to a full outage.
What Is in the Fortnite v40.10 Update?
The v40.10 update is the first major content drop of the current season and brings several confirmed additions to the game.
Fortnite OG Season 8 Launches
The headlining change in v40.10 is the launch of Fortnite OG Season 8, rolling the OG experience back to Chapter 1, Season 8 from 2019. Epic Games spent the week building up to it with earthquakes on the Fortnite OG island ahead of the volcano’s emergence, which brings new and returning Points of Interest alongside a full map refresh.
Confirmed returning locations and items include:
| Content | Type |
| Lazy Lagoon | Returning POI |
| The Volcano | Returning POI |
| Sunny Steps | Returning POI |
| Pirate Cannon | Returning weapon |
| Treasure Maps | Returning feature |
| Flint-Knock Pistol | Returning weapon |
| Poison Dart Trap | Returning item |
New OG Season 8 Battle Pass
OG Season 8 brings a brand new Battle Pass, with the Super Styles for the current Battle Pass also expected to be revealed as part of this update. Like previous OG seasons, the Battle Pass is expected to tie into the Chapter 1 theme of the current content cycle.
Avengers Endgame Limited-Time Mode Returns
The Avengers Endgame LTM makes its return, launching on Friday, April 3. Just like its original 2019 run, teams split into Avengers and the Chitauri for a head-to-head last team standing battle. However, the loot pool has been updated for the 2026 version, so expect some differences from the classic format even if the core team-based structure remains the same.
Save the World Goes Free-to-Play on April 16, 2026
The v40.10 update sets the stage for Save the World’s move to a free-to-play model, which launches on April 16, 2026. Players who already own Save the World before the free-to-play transition receive specific rewards as a thank-you, including daily V-Bucks for Founders and Supercharger rewards on April 16. The patch lays the groundwork for this transition, with further details expected to emerge from leaks tied to the update ahead of the official April 16 date.
Additional Content and Bug Fixes
Beyond the major headline additions, v40.10 is a mid-season patch and follows the standard format of including quality-of-life improvements, bug fixes, and potential new cosmetics. Mid-season patches of this type typically address issues reported since the season launched on March 19, 2026, when the v40.00 update first deployed. Any additional cosmetics or seasonal additions confirmed from the update will appear in the Item Shop once servers return.
Recent Fortnite Outage and Incident History
The April 1 maintenance is planned, but Fortnite has also experienced several unplanned disruptions in recent weeks:
| Date | Issue | Resolution Time |
| April 1, 2026 | Scheduled v40.10 maintenance plus login issue | Resolved 6:11 AM UTC |
| March 30, 2026 | Login and matchmaking issues | Resolved 9:08 AM UTC |
| March 30, 2026 | Epic Online Services issues | Resolved 9:00 AM UTC |
| March 22, 2026 | EOS logins and achievements issue | Resolved |
| March 22, 2026 | Fall Guys matchmaking issue | Resolved |
| March 21, 2026 | Login and matchmaking issues | Resolved |
| March 21, 2026 | Xbox V-Bucks purchasing issue | Resolved |
| March 19, 2026 | Scheduled v40.00 update maintenance | Completed |
The March 30 issues are particularly notable as they occurred just two days before the scheduled April 1 maintenance, meaning some players dealt with login disruptions across multiple consecutive days heading into OG Season 8.
Where to Check Fortnite Server Status
| Resource | What It Offers |
| Epic Games Status Page | Official real-time status for all Epic services |
| Fortnite Status on X (@FortniteStatus) | Fastest official communication channel |
| Downdetector | Community-driven outage reports and graphs |
The Epic Games status page is always the most reliable source for confirmed maintenance windows and official incident updates. Given that mid-season updates can run longer than their scheduled window, it is worth bookmarking the page directly rather than assuming a fixed return time. The @FortniteStatus account on X is the fastest place to see real-time updates from Epic during any active maintenance or unexpected outage.
Leave a Reply