Fortnite services restored early after maintenance update

In the United States on December 1, 2024, Epic Games implemented a scheduled maintenance for Fortnite, affecting millions of players globally. This maintenance was necessary for the rollout of the significant v33.00 update, which marked the beginning of Season 6, Chapter 1, introducing a new Japan-themed map and a variety of characters from popular culture, including Godzilla and Baymax from Big Hero Six. The downtime for this maintenance commenced at 10 PM ET, initially projected to last for eight hours, with services expected to resume around 12 PM. However, Epic Games surprised players by announcing that systems were operational as early as 9:40 AM, allowing players to log back in earlier than anticipated. While most services became accessible, it was noted that one game mode, Reload, was temporarily disabled due to a separate issue that needed resolution. Players were eager to engage with the new content, which includes numerous new outfits and the exciting addition of cherry blossom trees in the game’s environment. Despite the early restoration of services, there is an upcoming scheduled maintenance on December 3, which will cause further disruptions, although the impact is expected to be less severe than the earlier downtime. Players are advised to prepare for possible delays in in-game lobbies and other functionalities during this time, indicating that while the current issue appears resolved, there may be further challenges ahead for Epic Games users.