Fortnite is down as maintenance ahead of update 36.20 begins – early patch notes and what to expect

The latest Fortnite update is poised to arrive following a new round of downtime, with high expectations for a wealth of unannounced content.

Fortnite has been basking in a surge of fresh content recently, arriving at such a pace that it would be easy to assume frequent updates were being rolled out. However, this hasn't been the case.

Epic Games' summer break has been ongoing since June, allowing the diligent developers behind Fortnite some well-deserved rest, and the average player was likely none the wiser. The introduction of Blitz Royale mode and Squid Grounds Reload takeover more than satisfied fans, but now, there's plenty more on the horizon.

The forthcoming Fortnite update promises to bring new content to the game, along with a host of much-needed bug fixes to keep the game running smoothly. So when exactly does the downtime commence? Here's what you need to know about the impending Fortnite downtime.

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Is Fortnite down?

Fortnite downtime is slated to start on Tuesday, July 15 at 1am PDT / 4am EDT / 9am BST. This timing has been confirmed in a recent tweet from

Built for battle. Driven by justice.

Downtime for v36.20 begins at 4 AM ET with matchmaking ending shortly beforehand. pic.twitter.com/lhNr7cBlG4

— Fortnite Status (@FortniteStatus) July 14, 2025

, aligning with the downtimes of updates 36.10 and update 35.10.

Updates have typically lasted between two and three hours recently, so we can anticipate that the upcoming downtime will conclude by 4am PDT / 7am EDT / 12pm BST at the latest.

Fortnite early patch notes

If you're keen to discover what's in store for the next Fortnite update, your best bet is to visit the Fortnite community Trello board. This is where the developers keep players in the loop about upcoming bug fixes.

Here's everything tagged as 'Fixed in Next Game Update' on the Trello board, spanning various modes:

General issues

• Nanite Buzzsaw may appear incorrectly to others – When a player equips the Nanite Buzzsaw Pickaxe for the first time in a match, it may briefly appear distorted or misplaced to other players.

Lego Fortnite

The ‘Claim your Daily Stipend’ Task doesn’t complete – Accepting City Stipend via an ATM will grant the Creds, but the Task remains uncompleted.

Leaving Shadown Form may make certain actions unresponsive – Entering Shadow Form as Shadow Caller and leaving it (whether by waiting for it to end or cancelling it) may cause Dodge, Shadow Form or Jump Attack to become unresponsive. Temporary Workaround: Using Dark Flurry helps regain control and exit this state.

Save the World

• Chests and other containers may appear already opened or empty in Hit the Road – Searchable containers (chests, toolboxes or storage boxes) may appear already opened and/or contain no loot. Interacting with these containers will still award Cassette Tapes.

Considering the amount of time many developers have had away from the game, it's a relatively brief list. However, we anticipate the forthcoming update will bring a host of additional fixes as the Epic Games team gets back on track.

Regardless, we'll gladly welcome any fixes over none at all.