Get ready to put your battle royale plans on hold for a little while. Epic Games officially took Fortnite offline this morning, October 1, 2026, to roll out one of the most highly anticipated patches of the year. The massive v37.00 update is finally here, and it is bringing the spooky spirit of Fortnitemares 2026 along with it.
If you tried to jump into a lobby early this morning, you probably ran into some trouble. Epic disabled matchmaking starting at 3:30 AM ET (12:30 AM PT). Exactly half an hour later, at 4:00 AM ET, the servers went completely dark. This standard buffer period gives active players enough time to finish up their matches before the developers pull the plug.
How Long Will the Fortnite Downtime Last?
So, when can you actually drop back into the game? Major seasonal transitions like the v37.00 patch require deep work under the hood. Epic is not just adding a few cosmetic items to the shop; they are rewriting map zones, updating weapon pools, and introducing entirely new gameplay mechanics. Because of this, downtime is expected to last longer than your average weekly patch.
Historically, major seasonal updates keep the game offline for roughly four to five hours. If everything goes according to plan, the servers should start blinking back to life somewhere between 8:00 AM ET and 9:00 AM ET (5:00 AM to 6:00 AM PT). However, it is always smart to prepare for potential delays. Complex seasonal rollouts occasionally run into unexpected server hiccups, which can push the launch time back by an hour or two.
What to Expect in Fortnitemares 2026
Epic Games has kept tight-lipped about the exact details, but the community is already buzzing with leaks and teasers. Fortnitemares is traditionally the most popular event on the Fortnite calendar, and this year looks to continue that trend with some major shakeups to the island.
Players can expect a heavily themed map overhaul. Eerie fog is likely to roll across the battleground, and several points of interest will get haunted makeovers. Classic Halloween weapons, such as the Pumpkin Launcher and Witch Brooms, are widely expected to come out of the vault. There are also strong rumors of fresh collaborations with iconic horror franchises, bringing highly requested spooky skins and unique in-game mythical items to the battle pass and the shop.
How to Prepare for the Update
While you wait for the developers to wrap up their maintenance, there is one thing you should do right now: start downloading the patch. The v37.00 update is a hefty file. Depending on your platform—whether you play on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Nintendo Switch, or mobile—the download size will be significant.
- Turn on your console or PC and launch the Epic Games Launcher or system update menu.
- Check that your device has enough free storage space, as these major seasonal patches often require extra room to unpack files.
- Leave your system on standby so the download finishes before the servers go live.
By getting the patch downloaded early, you can skip the queue and jump straight into the spooky new map the moment Epic flips the switch back on.
