Why Does Fortnite Keep Crashing on My PC? (And How to Fix It)

Fortnite crashing on your PC is frustrating, interrupting your gameplay and potentially costing you matches. Several reasons can cause these crashes, ranging from hardware issues to software conflicts. This guide will walk you through the most common causes and provide step-by-step solutions to get you back in the game.

Common Causes of Fortnite Crashes on PC

Before diving into fixes, understanding the potential culprits is essential:

  • Outdated Graphics Drivers: Your graphics card driver is the software that allows your operating system and applications (like Fortnite) to use the graphics card. Old or corrupted drivers can lead to instability and crashes.
  • Insufficient System Resources: Fortnite, while optimized, still requires sufficient RAM, CPU, and GPU power. If your PC is struggling to meet the minimum or recommended specifications, crashes are likely.
  • Overheating: Excessive heat can cause components to malfunction, leading to game crashes. This is especially common with the CPU and GPU.
  • Corrupted Game Files: Fortnite’s installation files can become corrupted due to incomplete downloads, disk errors, or other software conflicts.
  • Software Conflicts: Other programs running in the background might conflict with Fortnite, leading to instability.
  • DirectX Issues: Fortnite relies on DirectX, a collection of APIs for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. Problems with your DirectX installation can cause crashes.
  • Hardware Problems: In rare cases, the crashes might be due to faulty hardware like RAM or the graphics card.
  • Operating System Issues: An outdated or corrupted Windows installation can contribute to game crashes.
  • Incompatible or Outdated Anti-Virus Software: Some Anti-Virus software can interfere with the game files, causing crashes.

Troubleshooting Steps to Fix Fortnite Crashes

Here’s a comprehensive list of troubleshooting steps, ordered from the simplest to the more complex:

1. Check Your System Requirements

Ensure your PC meets the minimum and recommended system requirements for Fortnite. You can find these specifications on the Epic Games website.

2. Update Your Graphics Drivers

Outdated drivers are a primary cause of game crashes. Here’s how to update them:

  • NVIDIA: Download the latest drivers from the NVIDIA website or use the GeForce Experience application.
  • AMD: Download the latest drivers from the AMD website or use the AMD Adrenalin software.
  • Intel: Download the latest drivers from the Intel website or use the Intel Driver & Support Assistant.

After downloading and installing the latest drivers, restart your computer.

3. Verify Fortnite Game Files

Corrupted game files can cause crashes. The Epic Games Launcher has a built-in verification tool:

  1. Open the Epic Games Launcher.
  2. Go to your Library.
  3. Find Fortnite.
  4. Click the three dots next to Fortnite.
  5. Select Verify.

The launcher will scan and repair any corrupted files. This process can take some time.

4. Close Background Applications

Close any unnecessary applications running in the background. This frees up system resources and eliminates potential software conflicts. Pay special attention to:

  • Web browsers (especially with many tabs open)
  • Streaming software (OBS, XSplit)
  • Overlays (Discord, Steam)
  • Resource-intensive programs

Use Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) to identify and close these applications.

5. Lower In-Game Graphics Settings

If your PC is struggling to run Fortnite, lowering the graphics settings can significantly improve performance and reduce crashes. Try:

  • Reducing the resolution.
  • Lowering the graphics quality (e.g., from Epic to High, Medium, or Low).
  • Disabling resource-intensive features like shadows and anti-aliasing.

6. Check for Overheating

Monitor your CPU and GPU temperatures while playing Fortnite. You can use monitoring software like:

  • MSI Afterburner
  • HWMonitor

If your temperatures are consistently high (above 80-90°C for the CPU or GPU), you need to address the overheating issue. This may involve:

  • Cleaning the dust from your PC’s fans and heatsinks.
  • Reapplying thermal paste to the CPU and GPU.
  • Improving case airflow by adding more fans.

7. Update DirectX

Make sure you have the latest version of DirectX installed. Generally, Windows Update will handle this automatically, but you can manually download the DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer from the Microsoft website and run it.

8. Run Fortnite as Administrator

Running the game as an administrator can sometimes resolve permission-related issues:

  1. Right-click on the Fortnite executable file (usually located in C:\Program Files\Epic Games\Fortnite\FortniteGame\Binaries\Win64).
  2. Select Properties.
  3. Go to the Compatibility tab.
  4. Check the box labeled Run this program as an administrator.
  5. Click Apply and then OK.

9. Check your RAM

Use Windows Memory Diagnostic tool to scan for memory problems:

  1. Search for Windows Memory Diagnostic in the Windows search bar.
  2. Run the application and follow the on-screen instructions.

10. Reinstall Fortnite

If none of the above solutions work, try reinstalling Fortnite. This ensures a clean installation and eliminates any potential issues with corrupted files.

11. Check Antivirus Software

Ensure that Fortnite is whitelisted in your antivirus software. You may have to temporarily disable your antivirus and try running the game.

When to Seek Professional Help

If you’ve tried all the troubleshooting steps and Fortnite continues to crash, the problem might be more complex. Consider seeking professional help from a computer repair technician. There could be underlying hardware issues that require specialized diagnosis and repair.

By systematically working through these solutions, you can identify and resolve the cause of Fortnite crashes on your PC and get back to enjoying the game.