Fortnite Servers Crash on July 15, 2025

Major Connectivity Issues Impact Fortnite Players Globally

On Tuesday, 15 July 2025, a significant disruption affected Fortnite players across the globe, including many in South Africa. The popular online game became unplayable for several hours due to major connectivity problems. These issues began early in the morning and coincided with the release of a scheduled update.

By 07:00 CST (14:00 SAST), at least 380 players had reported server connection issues on Downdetector, a platform that tracks user-submitted outage data. The most common complaint was related to server connectivity, with 90% of the reports highlighting problems connecting to Fortnite’s servers. Smaller numbers of users experienced difficulties with logging in (7%) and gameplay functionality (3%).

The disruptions were linked to the version 36.20 update, which started at 03:00 CST (10:00 SAST). Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite, confirmed that the update was planned as part of routine maintenance. This type of maintenance typically takes between two and four hours to complete.

“The v36.20 update brings new weapons and items like the Unstable Thunderclap DMR, Lightrider’s Surf Cube, and the Unstable Bounce Grenade,” said Epic Games in a public statement. The update also introduced new creative elements such as Utopia City-themed Prefabs and Galleries, along with various performance improvements and fixes.

However, the issues were not limited to the scheduled update. Around 12 hours before the update, Fortnite faced separate problems with its matchmaking feature—the system that pairs players together for games. At its peak just before 15:30 CST (22:30 SAST) on Monday, 14 July 2025, 560 users reported matchmaking problems. Epic Games acknowledged the situation at 15:32 CST (22:32 SAST) and issued a follow-up at 16:45 CST (23:45 SAST), confirming the issue had been resolved.

In South Africa, the first reports of problems appeared around 22:00 on Monday. According to Downdetector, complaints sharply increased from around 09:30 on Tuesday. While outages during scheduled updates are somewhat expected, many users expressed frustration on social media about being unable to access the game during peak gaming hours.

Epic Games has not reported any unexpected complications with the update, and servers were expected to be back online within the typical maintenance window. Despite this, the disruptions caused significant inconvenience for players who rely on Fortnite for entertainment and social interaction.

Key Points from the Outage

Timeline of Events: The outage began on Monday evening and escalated on Tuesday morning.
Affected Features: Server connectivity was the most impacted, followed by login and gameplay issues.
Update Details: Version 36.20 included new weapons, items, and creative elements.
Matchmaking Problems: An earlier issue with the matchmaking system was reported before the update.
User Reactions: Many players expressed frustration on social media about the downtime.
Company Response: Epic Games acknowledged the issues and provided updates on the resolution process.

These events highlight the challenges that even the most popular online games can face, especially during major updates. While such disruptions are often temporary, they can have a lasting impact on user experience and satisfaction.