xbox fortnite stuck on checking for updatesA few minutes after the fortnite servers were back up from scheduled maintenance today, the servers had an issue and players were unable to login. If there isn’t try cleaning out some space for the fortnite update. Restarting the game can help fix many fortnite not loading issues such as the “stuck on checking for updates” issue:
Whenever a new content patch rolls out, new and returning Fortnite players come running back to try out everything Epic Games introduced to the game with the latest patch. Mostly during the start of new seasons, the number of players can overwhelm the servers and cause players to experience server-related errors that prevent them from playing Fortnite.
Getting stuck on the connecting screen is a common bug that’s generally related to servers going down due to huge influxes of players. Though the error appears for PC players more often, there have also been instances that the error has also shown up for console players.
Considering getting stuck on the connecting screen is a bug that usually happens due to server-side problems that occur on Epic’s end, you may need to wait it out in most cases. It can also happen due to connectivity issues that may arise on your hand, which you can troubleshoot by applying the fixes on our list.
Here’s how you can fix getting stuck on the connecting screen bug in Fortnite.
Check if the servers are down
If the servers are down, your hands will be tied. It’ll be up to Epic to fix its servers, and you won’t be able to fix the connecting screen bug by applying any of the traditional methods. To save time and effort, you should check how the servers are doing before trying to fix the error by yourself.
Epic has a server status tracker which shows the current server status for all Epic services alongside past logs. If Fortnite or the Epic Games Games launcher are down, you’ll need to wait for Epic to roll out a fix.
When there’s a server-wide bug or error that’s affecting a decent part of the player base, Epic often updates the players through Fortnite’s Status Twitter account. If you’d like to be one of the first players to get into Fortnite after an error or bug gets fixed, you should keep an eye on the Fortnite Status Twitter account.
Alternatively, community hubs like Reddit can be your second stop. Whenever a wide-spread error occurs, players usually take it to the forms first to see whether others are experiencing the same error as them. Depending on the situation, you can also find alternative fixes on one of these threads since most players will be sharing the potential fixes that worked for them.
Restart Fortnite
You can still get stuck on the connecting screen even when the servers are online. The chances are you may have gotten unlucky on your first try, and a simple restart may be enough to get you back into Fortnite.
Restarting your game will allow you to get a second shot at connecting to Fortnite’s servers. If you successfully log into Fortnite after restarting the game, it could mean that you just stumbled upon an overloaded server on your first try, meaning it was probably a one-time thing.
Troubleshoot your home network
If the servers are up and you’re still getting stuck on the connecting screen, you may want to troubleshoot your home connection.
Start by restarting your router and gaming device. Restarting your router will allow you to troubleshoot any possible hiccups that may have occurred on your internet service provider’s (ISP) end. Your ISP handles all the routing between you and Fortnite’s game servers, and restarting your router will allow you to reestablish those connections. While you’re restarting your router, you should also do the same for your gaming device, just to check two boxes at the same time.
Aside from restarting your router, you should also try out a different DNS. Most gamers usually use the default DNS address that gets assigned by their ISP. These servers can also go down during prime hours in your area and a struggling DNS server can cause you bugs similar to getting stuck on the connecting screen.
Try out Google or OpenDNS’ servers instead of your default ones. If changing your DNS fixes the bug, you should continue using that DNS address for a couple of hours more before switching back. After some time, your default DNS address should also get fixed so you can revert back to it later.
The most efficient way to troubleshoot your home connection will be by trying out a completely different one. Though this used to be quite hard to achieve since you’d need to switch places, you can simply use your phone’s cellular data by turning on the hotspot feature of your phone.
Connect to your phone’s internet with your gaming device and see if you can log into Fortnite, If you can get into Fortnite without any trouble with your cellular data, you may need to give a call to your ISP to see if they can detect anything off with your connection.
Reinstall Fortnite
The methods above cover all bases when it comes to connection-related bugs or errors. If none of them work, you can also try reinstalling Fortnite just to make sure that you don’t have any corrupted files messing with your experience.
If you started getting stuck on the connecting screen after moving your game files or installing a new storage device, then you should benefit from reinstalling the game. When all files are fresh off the oven, the chances of you running into a software-related bug should be close to a minimum.
Wait out the error or send a support ticket to Epic
If everything you’ve tried wasn’t able to fix the bug for you, the chances are something is wrong with the servers and you’ll need to wait for Epic to fix them. Players who would like to have no downtime from Fortnite can use this time to learn more about the game. Taking time to learn more tips and tricks about Fortnite will be more beneficial than actually playing the game and when the servers are up, you can test the new tricks that you’ve just picked up.
In cases when it takes quite longer than expected, you should consider sending a support ticket to Epic. Mention all the troubleshooting steps you’ve tried to fix this bug and provide screenshots in your tickets. A support associate should take a look in your case within a couple of business days and come up with a plan to solve the bug. You may get a list of additional troubleshooting methods or Epic could roll out a small patch if there are too many players reporting the same bug.