Fortnite’s scheduled maintenance unveils exciting updates; all details here

Fortnite players had a crashing morning as the fan-favourite game’s server outage left millions of players unable to access it. The outages were a result of Epic Games’ scheduled maintenance. However, here is when the players will be able to dive back into the game.
The Battle Royale and other games powered by its servers were mostly inaccessible this morning due to maintenance for the v33.00 update. This major update is setting the stage for a new season, making the downtime worthwhile for dedicated players eager for the fresh content and changes it will bring.
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Before the outage this morning, the Fortnite status team posted on X, “Prepare to hunt and slay demons! Downtime for v33.00 begins at 10 PM ET with matchmaking ending shortly beforehand.” The update was scheduled to last for eight hours with it being initiated at 10 am ET (3 am GMT) in the US. This means the players will not be able to play until 12 pm ET.
Epic Games announced that all systems were up and running earlier than expected, with services fully operational by 9:40 am, hours ahead of the projected deadline. This meant players were able to log on and start playing a couple of hours sooner than anticipated.
The downtime affected a lot of Fortnite services including the LEGO version, and the car-based football game Rocket League. They divulged, “This scheduled maintenance affected: Rocket League Racing (Matchmaking), LEGO Fortnite (Matchmaking), Fortnite Festival (Matchmaking), and Fortnite (Game Services, Login, Parties, Friends, and Messaging, Voice Chat, Matchmaking, Stats and Leaderboards),” as reported by The Mirror US.
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The scheduled downtime was used to kick off a new chapter of Fortnite, marking the beginning of season six, chapter one today. The update, titled “Hunters,” introduces a brand-new Fortnite map along with a variety of additional outfits available through the Battle Pass.
The Japan-themed update introduces Godzilla, Baymax from Big Hero Six, and scenic Japanese elements such as cherry blossom trees for players to enjoy along with a map. While most services are now back online, one game mode, Reload, has been temporarily disabled due to a technical issue.
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The second round of maintenance will be completed on December 3 until then players have two days to play their games without any interruptions. In a post on X, Epic stated, “We have temporarily disabled Reload while we work to resolve an issue. We will let you know once the service is fully restored.”
The next round will be initiated at 6 am UTC (6 am GMT) during which a “degraded availability” of in-game lobbies will be available to players. The service degradation is expected to last for two hours, with Epic warning that lobby invites and other functions may experience delays or occasional failures during this time.