Fortnite is an online battle royale video game developed and published by Epic Games. It was first released on July 25, 2017.
The game has a huge multiplayer community, with millions of players across the globe playing it at any given time. As such, there are bound to be some issues with the game as well as its servers.
In this article, we’ll take a look at how you can fix Fortnite lag so that you don’t get disconnected from a match or have problems while trying to join one.
However, before we go into detail about how to fix Fortnite lag, let us first explain what exactly a lag is. When a player joins a match, they will be assigned a server. Some players might find that their ping (the speed at which information travels between two points) is not good enough for them to play optimally. In this case, they would want to move to another server to improve their performance. This can happen when your connection is slow due to poor internet connectivity or because of other factors like network congestion.
If you find that you cannot join a match due to lag, you should try these tips below to fix Fortnite lag:
1. Change your game mode
The most common cause of Fortnite lag is that you have been assigned a server that doesn’t support the game mode you are using. You might also notice that there are many players stuck in the lobby of Fortnite and you cannot join their matches.
The best way to fix this issue is to change your game mode. If you are on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, or PC, you can do this by going to Settings > Gameplay > Select Play Mode and then choose Competitive, Creative, Casual, or Arcade.
When you make this change, you will be able to start playing on whichever server supports your chosen mode. However, if you want to switch back to Competitive mode, you will need to repeat this process. To help you avoid having to repeat this process, you can save all of your current game modes by pressing “Save” next to the name of the mode you wish to use.
For new players the most important piece of advice is that they don’t have to make a found with some of the best and rare fortnite skins. Because in the beginning they mostly have to make their focus on their gameplay. This is must for them because if they firstly make this happen then they will be able to play it constantly without any boredom.
2. Go offline
One of the reasons why a player might experience lag is because they are connected to the internet but their computer does not have enough bandwidth. In order to solve this problem, you should disconnect your computer from the internet by closing down all unnecessary programs like Discord, Skype, Facebook Messenger, Google Chrome, etc.
You can also close down unnecessary background programs like Spotify, YouTube, Netflix, etc.
Once you have done this, you should reconnect to the internet to see if your lag is fixed. However, if the problem persists, please continue the rest of the tips below.
3. Update your system
If your game lags every time you launch it, you should update your operating system to the latest version. The reason behind this is that old versions of Windows and MacOS have a lot of bugs that could potentially lead to issues with Fortnite and its servers.
To check whether your system is up-to-date, head to Settings > System > About and click on “Update”. If you are running MacOS, open the App Store and click on “Updates”. If you are using Windows 10, go to Settings > Update & Security > Check for updates and install all available updates.
4. Download the patch files
If you are experiencing Fortnite lag and you haven’t updated your system, you may want to download the latest patch files to fix it.
Head to the official Fortnite website and click on the “Downloads” tab. Here, you can download patches specific to your platform. These patches can address various issues with the game, including lag issues.
5. Use a VPN
Virtual Private Networking (or VPN), is a service that allows users to bypass geographical restrictions. Using a VPN can help you access games that are blocked in certain countries. For example, in 2020, Fortnite was banned in China.
VPN services cost money, but are worth it. Many gamers use VPN services to stream their favorite games without getting caught by the authorities.
You can find VPN providers on the internet. However, you can also use a free VPN provider like Surfshark. With it, you can connect to the VPN server without paying anything and enjoy unlimited streaming.
6. Avoid playing on public Wi-Fi networks
Most hotels offer free Wi-Fi, but you need to keep in mind that the connection speeds may not be great.
If you are playing on a public Wi-Fi network, the chances of you experiencing lag are high. Because the connection is shared, the other people who are on the same network could also be using the same connection. If your connection slows down, they might as well slow down too.
So, the best thing to do is to connect to a hotspot instead of the free Wi-Fi network. Hotspots, unlike public Wi-Fi, provide much faster connections. They also allow you to pay for the data you consume.
There are several options available for finding a hotspot, such as AirDroid or NetFlix. With these apps, you can easily search for a nearby hotspot and connect to it with your smartphone.
7. Turn off VoIP
If you are using a VoIP app and you have recently installed a new operating system, you should disable the VoIP feature. While there are no known cases where this causes Fortnite lag, it is better to be safe than sorry.
To turn off VoIP, just go to Settings > Phone > Call settings and uncheck “Use your phone’s voice communication features”.
