Fortnite Servers Go Down After v36.20 Update—Here’s When the Game Will Be Back Online

Fortnite players across the globe were in for a surprise Tuesday morning as the popular battle royale game went offline due to scheduled maintenance tied to its new v36.20 update. While server downtime is common with major patch rollouts, the temporary outage still left thousands of fans wondering: When will Fortnite be back up?

Fortnite Server Outage: What Happened?

Starting around 3 a.m. CST on Tuesday, July 15, Epic Games initiated maintenance for the latest update. By 7 a.m., Downdetector—a site that tracks real-time online outages—had already logged over 380 user reports, with most complaints linked to issues with server connectivity.

This downtime wasn’t a glitch or an unexpected crash. According to Epic Games, the servers were taken offline intentionally to implement new weapons, gameplay tweaks, and fixes in the v36.20 patch. However, the lack of in-game access still triggered frustration among players eager to try out the new content.

What’s New in the v36.20 Update?

For those itching to jump back into the action, the wait might be well worth it. The latest update introduces:

Unstable Thunderclap DMR – A new weapon that promises chaos with every shot.

Lightrider’s Surf Cube – A slick movement tool designed for fast-paced traversal.

Unstable Bounce Grenade – Perfect for disorienting enemies or executing surprise manoeuvres.

Utopia City-themed Prefabs and Galleries – New creative tools that allow map designers to go full sci-fi.

In addition to flashy features, performance improvements and bug fixes were also included, promising smoother gameplay once the servers are back online.

Hey everyone, we’re extending downtime while we work to resolve an issue discovered during offline checks.

We’ll do our best to get Fortnite servers online ASAP. Keep an eye on this thread for any future updates. pic.twitter.com/b8ZPOYvb0K

— Fortnite Status (@FortniteStatus) July 15, 2025

When Will Fortnite Servers Be Back Online?

Epic typically brings Fortnite servers back online within two to four hours of a scheduled update. That means players can expect matchmaking and gameplay functionality to return between 5:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. CST, although this is subject to change if any unexpected issues arise during the patch rollout.

As of now, Epic Games hasn’t reported any major hiccups, so a full return by mid-morning seems likely.

More Issues Reported Monday

Interestingly, the server downtime comes less than a day after players reported widespread issues with Fortnite’s matchmaking feature. According to Downdetector, complaints peaked around 3:30 p.m. CST on Monday, with over 560 reports logged.

Epic quickly acknowledged the problem at 3:52 p.m. and issued an update at 4:45 p.m. confirming the issue had been resolved. Whether that earlier issue is related to today’s server maintenance remains unclear.

While the current Fortnite outage was expected, its timing—so close to Monday’s matchmaking hiccup—has sparked a wave of online speculation. But with new weapons and futuristic content waiting on the other side, many fans agree it’s a small price to pay.