‘Fortnite’ Servers Are Down, Here’s When Chapter 5, Season 1 Begins

It's an exciting weekend for Fortnite enthusiasts as the Fortnite OG season concludes after a brief month-long run. The highly popular season, which brought back the original map, witnessed an impressive turnout, with over 100 million players participating throughout November. This milestone makes it the most popular season in the history of the free-to-play Battle Royale game.

Fortnite Chapter 5, Season 1 is almost here

To wrap up the OG season, a grand live event took place featuring rapper Eminem. The Big Bang event not only showcased the conclusion of the season but also introduced three new games set to enhance the Fortnite experience. The constant evolution and engaging events in Fortnite continue to captivate players and maintain the game's widespread appeal.

Fortnite will now be offline while we prepare for v28.00. pic.twitter.com/QGH2jggqoX

— Fortnite Status (@FortniteStatus) December 3, 2023

The Fortnite experience is expanding with the introduction of three new games:

LEGO Fortnite: Immerse yourself in a survival/crafting LEGO adventure set in the Fortnite universe.

Rocket Racing: Developed by Psyonix, the studio behind Rocket League, this racing game promises fast-paced excitement and thrilling competition.

Fortnite Festival: Created by Harmonix, the studio known for Rock Band, this music game lets you play in bands solo or with friends. The Festival kicks off with a performance by The Weeknd on December 9th, adding a musical dimension to the Fortnite world.

LEGO Fortnite

These diverse additions aim to provide players with new and engaging ways to experience the Fortnite universe, blending survival, racing, and music into the already dynamic gaming landscape.

The popularity of the live event was so overwhelming that many players, including yourself, encountered hour-long queues and couldn't log in to participate. To accommodate the demand, Epic is hosting the event two more times on the same day.

In preparation for Chapter 5, Season 1, titled "Underground," Epic has taken a significant step by disabling all Fortnite experiences and game modes, leaving only player-created content available for the remainder of the day. This move allows the game developers to make necessary preparations for the launch of the new season. The teaser for Season 1, featuring characters like Family Guy's Peter Griffin and Metal Gear's Snake, can be viewed on YouTube, adding anticipation and excitement for what's to come in the evolving Fortnite universe.

The excitement and anticipation are building up for the launch of Chapter 5, Season 1 in Fortnite, which comes with a brand new map. To facilitate this major update, servers will undergo downtime starting at 11:30 pm ET / 8:30 pm PT. Considering the scope of this update, particularly with the introduction of a new Chapter and map, the downtime may extend for a few hours, and possibly longer.

While there isn't an exact time specified for the new season to go live, players can expect it to be available sometime early in the morning on Sunday, December 3rd. This timing allows players to install the update overnight, ensuring they can dive into the new season as soon as they wake up.

Following the launch of the new season, the three new games—LEGO Fortnite, Rocket Racing, and Fortnite Festival—will make their debut, adding further variety and excitement to the Fortnite experience.

Update — Servers Are Down!

With servers now down, Fortnite is temporarily unplayable as Epic prepares to roll out the new patch for Chapter 5, Season 1. This update is expected to take longer than usual, according to the developer. Players should be prepared for a substantial download when the update is ready.

The Fortnite Status Twitter account provided a heads-up, stating, "Patch sizes may be larger than usual. We will update you when it is available to start installing." This notice gives players a heads-up about potentially larger file sizes for the patch, emphasizing the importance of keeping an eye out for further updates on when the installation process can begin.

Patch sizes may be larger than usual. We will update you when it is available to start installing.

— Fortnite Status (@FortniteStatus) December 3, 2023

The surge in players during Saturday's live event led to technical issues, prompting Epic to temporarily bring down various game modes, including Save The World, to stabilize performance. At one point, Fortnite experienced a complete downtime.

The launch of Chapter 5, Season 1 will follow as soon as the patch is complete. However, the exact timing remains unclear, and it might take longer due to the larger size of the patch. New Chapters, which introduce brand new maps and significant changes, typically come with larger update sizes.

As you monitor the game's status, anticipate a new map, crossovers with Family Guy, LEGO, Metal Gear Solid, weapon mods, improved movement, a new Battle Pass, and numerous other enhancements. Stay tuned for updates as the exciting new season unfolds.