Fortnite Chapter 4 Start Time: When Will Fortnite Servers Be Back Up?

Fortnite Chapter 4 is just hours away. Though Epic hasn't publicly stated when Fortnite's servers will be back up, some historical precedence and reasonable deductions give us a pretty clear window of time. The short answer: You won't be waiting long. For a more detailed answer, keep reading. Here's when you can play Fortnite again.

When will Fortnite servers be back up?

Fortnite is currently in scheduled downtime following the Chapter 3 finale. This means Chapter 4 is upon us and with it will come new weapons, a whole new island, and a new battle pass, among other things. But none of that matters until the Fortnite servers are letting players back into the game. Epic likes to keep this a surprise, but recent history suggests Fortnite will be playable again sometime around 4 AM - 7 AM PT / 7 AM - 10 AM ET tomorrow, December 4. This three-hour window is our best guess based on having covered several seasons of Fortnite by now, and as always, the actual time is subject to change for a number of reasons.

For one, downtime is needed to apply the game's latest patch, and patches can be delayed. Even if Epic is shooting for the earliest possible time to launch Chapter 4, things can get in the way of that plan. It's also worth noting that for the last year, new seasons (and the launch of Chapter 3) featured a queue system that slowed players' ability to get into the game past the main menu. You should absolutely expect--and plan for--a queue when you first boot up Fortnite tomorrow. A new chapter launch is about as big as it gets in Fortnite, so it's going to be a very busy day for Epic and all Fortnite players.

Even being there right when servers come online will likely result in some additional waiting time, but your queue time will only grow if you're a bit later than others, so this is a situation where you'll want to plan ahead, apply the update as soon as you can, or even ensure it auto-updates on your platform of choice so you don't have to.

With all that in mind, get ready to drop in on a new map, with a new battle pass, and new weapons--plus whatever other secrets Fortnite has in store for us. We'll see you on the Battle Bus!