How to Fix Fortnite Keeps Crashing [For All Platforms 2024]

Even though Fortnite has been one of the most played battle royale games for over 4 years, it still has its fair share of issues. And after the Unreal Engine 5 update, many gamers have been facing random crashing issues.

If you’re one of those unfortunate & wondering how you could get out of this conundrum, you’re in the right place.

Let’s dive into this article and discuss all the tested fixes to prevent further game crashes.

How to Fix Fortnite if It Keeps Crashing

If Fortnite keeps crashing after updating on PC, end Fortnite’s process from the Task Manager. The background process can get stuck on loading, so you might need to end the process for the game & its launcher. Corrupted game files can also cause random crashes, so verify game file integrity or re-install the game.

You can also try doing some network troubleshooting, as a multiplayer game crashing due to connection issues is not uncommon. Sounds too complicated? Don’t worry. Just go through the fixes one by one until you land on the method that stops further crashes.

How to Stop Fortnite from Crashing on PC

The technical issues on Fortnite are more prevalent on the PC platform. Not only that, there are numerous reasons why a game might crash on a Windows computer. Corrupted game files, incompatibility with OS updates, outdated graphics drivers, anything can be the root of this issue.

No matter the cause, follow these steps to troubleshoot Fortnite crashing on PC or Mac:

1. Ensure Your System Meets the Minimum Requirements

To have the best gameplay experience, your PC configuration needs to match the minimum or recommended system requirements to run the game.

Here are the minimum & recommended system specs to run Fortnite:

Make sure you have an equivalent or a higher PC configuration before playing the game.

2. Verify Game File Integrity

Missing or corrupt game files are some of the most prominent reasons for game crashes. To ensure that there are no corrupted or missing files in the game directory, launch the Epic Games Launcher and verify the game file integrity.

Follow these steps to verify the game files’ integrity for Fortnite:

• Launch Epic Games Launcher & go to the Library.
• Click on the three-dot icon for Fortnite.
• Select Manage.
• Click on Verify.

Now, wait for a few minutes until the verification process is done. Then launch Fortnite & check if the issue persists. In case the game files are corrupted but the launcher is unable to fix or re-download, uninstall the game & re-install it again.

3. Run Epic Games Launcher as an Administrator

The User Access Control restrictions might prevent the Epic Launcher from performing certain actions, which can lead to random game crashes. It can also introduce launcher related issues like Epic launcher not loading or showing busy.

Fortunately, you can resolve this issue by running the launcher as Admin so that it can bypass such restrictions.

Here’s how to run the Epic Games Launcher as an Admin:

• Press Windows Key+S and type Epic Games Launcher.
• Right-click on Epic Games Launcher and select Run as administrator.

Furthermore, if the issue doesn’t resolve, try uninstalling the launcher and download it again from Epic’s website.

4. Update Graphics Driver

Outdated or corrupted GPU drivers can also cause random crashes during gaming sessions, especially when you have overclocked your GPU. If the GPU driver crashes, the game will crash as well.

Additionally, outdated drivers might have compatibility issues with the latest version of the game files. So make sure you have the latest drivers installed on your computer.

According to the GPU model of your PC, go to the respective GPU manufacturer’s website & download the latest driver. Make sure you perform a clean install.

Nvidia users can use the Geforce Experience app and AMD users can use the Catalyst Control Centre to download & install the latest GPU drivers automatically.

You can also update drivers of other components in Windows 11 to ensure maximum compatibility.

5. Switch to DirectX 11

Although the DX12 API offers a vast range of new features, it is still not perfect. Not to mention, the performance of Unreal Engine(the game engine of Fortnite) in DX12 is still finicky.

So to avoid random crashes and other performance issues, use DX11 instead of DX12. This is highly recommended for those who still use older/lower specs hardware.

Follow these steps for switching the Fortnite API to DirectX 11:

• Run Fortnite and click on the hamburger icon to go to Settings.
• Go to the Display section & change the Rendering Mode to DirectX 11.

While you’re at it, you can lower some graphical settings such as textures and shadows. These options are very memory taxing and the game can crash if the system/VRAM budget exceeds.

6. Close Background Applications

Fortnite is a very hardware-demanding title and requires every bit of performance available on your device. Background running apps, such as Chrome browser, can often take up precious resources and hamper game performance.

So before launching the game, end all background programs. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager. Now click on the Memory section to sort the apps by memory usage. Now select the apps you want to close and hit End task.

7. Repair Visual C++ Redistributables

Microsoft Visual Studio C++ redistributables are required to properly run Fortnite. Corrupted or missing C++ files is a possible reason for game crashing issues. So you need to install or repair the redistributables.

Go to Microsoft’s official download page & download both x64 & x86 versions of Visual C++. Now run the executable files and hit Install/Repair.

8. Run Fortnite in Compatibility Mode

Program compatibility can often determine how well that app/game will run on your Windows PC. From my 15+ years of PC expertise, I have noticed that certain apps or games can have compatibility issues when a new Windows version rolls out.

In such a case, running that program in compatibility mode can resolve any technical issues, including Fortnite not loading at all.

Here’s how to run Fortnite in compatibility mode:

• Go to C:\Program Files\Epic Games\Fortnite\FortniteGame\Binaries\Win64\ to access the game file directory.
• Find FortniteClient-Win64-Shipping.exe.
• Right-click on the file and select Properties.
• Navigate to the Compatibility tab.
• Check the box for Run this program in compatibility mode for and choose Windows 8 from the drop-down menu.
• Mark the box for Disable fullscreen optimizations.
• Hit Apply > Ok.

Now launch the game & check if it crashes during gameplay. In case this method doesn’t work, move on to the next solution.

9. Disable Overclocking

Another common reason for experiencing random crashes or artifacting issues is unstable overclocking preset. Drivers/services can crash when the set frequency of the CPU/GPU overclock is unstable.

Fortunately, such issues can be avoided by disabling any overclocking preset you have on your computer and setting all the frequencies to the factory defaults.

10. Rollback Windows Update

Windows updates! Not only they’re extremely annoying, but these updates can also often introduce compatibility issues that were not present in the previous build. Speaking from personal experience, Fortnite started crashing after the 21H2 Windows update.

So if Fortnite keeps crashing after an update, simply roll back to the previous version & there’s a 90% chance that the issue will get resolved.

Here are the steps to roll back the Windows update:

• Press Windows+I and select Update & Security.
• Go to Recovery & from the Go back to the previous version of Windows 10, select Get started.
• Choose your reason & hit Next.
• Click on No thanks > Next > Next > Go back to earlier build.

Now, your PC will restart to the previous Windows build. You can also use the Windows rollback button to switch to the previous Windows version.

What To Do if Fortnite Keeps Crashing on PS4, Xbox & Android?

Even the console and mobile platforms aren’t immune from facing random crashes during a Fortnite match. Several gamers across all console platforms have reported experiencing Fortnite has crashed. We’re very sorry error message.

When such an error occurs, go to the corresponding app store of each platform & download the latest update for the game. Keep the game up to date whenever the developers roll out an update.

If this doesn’t fix the error, uninstall and re-install the app & make sure you have a stable internet connection.

When all else fails, contact with Epic Games support team & seek their assistance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I fix Fortnite DirectX 12 crash?

To fix Fortnite DX12 crashing issues, switch to DX 11 API. To do that, launch Fortnite and go to Settings > Video. Then change the Rendering Mode to DirectX 11.

Why does my Fortnite crash after every game?

In case the Fortnite game client crashes after every match, the saved game files might be corrupted, or the graphics driver needs to be updated. Furthermore, Windows 11 users might need to run the game in compatibility mode.

Should I use DX11 or 12 Fortnite?

According to Digital Foundry, a well-known game analysis outlet, the DirectX 11 API offers a much more stable performance than DirectX 12 in Fortnite. So I would recommend you to use DirectX 11, especially for older hardware users.

Conclusion

Figuring out the reasons & going through all those troubleshooting steps can be overwhelming, I know. But being patient & going through the solutions one by one will help you to jump back into your favorite player-versus-player combat in no time.

Do let me know in the comment section which solution worked in your case. If you have any other workaround up your sleeve, tell me about it in the comment section.

GGWP!