Fortnite down as servers prepare for update 33.11 and Winterfest 2024’s launch

FORTNITE servers just went down as the game is preparing for its last patch for this year.

The unusual downtime schedule may have caught some players off guard as Fortnite is deploying update v33.11 to bring Winterfest 2024.

Epic Games

Epic Games is bringing cosy vibes to Fortnite with Winterfest 2024, so the game needs some downtime[/caption]

Fortnite went down at 12pm UK time /  7am ET on December 18, 2024, and matchmaking was disabled about 30 minutes before that time.

The downtime for this update comes a few hours later than the usual very early morning schedule.

It’s a planned maintenance downtime, unlike the Fortnite login issues players had a couple of weeks ago.

Update v33.11 will kick off Fortnite’s holiday season event, Winterfest 2024, which will bring new festive skins and give the Battle Royale island a snowy makeover.

Epic Games confirmed the downtime earlier yesterday, in a post on the official Fortnite Status Twitter/X account.

We expect downtime to last a few hours, after which the game will be playable again, with the new Winterfest 2024 content.

The previous update took three hours to deploy, so if nothing goes wrong this time, players should expect Fortnite servers to come back online around 4pm UK time / 11am ET.

As always, the best place to check Fortnite’s current server status is the official Epic Games Public Status page.

The developers have promised to provide any updates if necessary while the game is down for maintenance.

Hopefully everything goes to plan and the game servers are back in no time.

In any case, we will keep you posted.

For more on the game, check out if you’re eligible for a Fortnite refund, as there is still time to claim it.