Fix lag in Fortnite
Lag in Fortnite starts in one of three places: your home, your line or the route to Epic Games's servers. Find out which before you change anything or pay for a "ping reducer".
In your home
Wi-Fi far from the router, other devices downloading, a busy PC or console, and strict NAT on the router. Test with the spike finder, then try a cable.
Find lag spikesOn your line
When someone uploads or streams, a queue builds in the router and your game waits behind it (bufferbloat). Smart Queue fixes it.
Fix bufferbloatBeyond your line
Distance to the server and your provider's route. Pick the closest region, and check the route for detours below.
Test server regionsHow Fortnite picks a server
Fortnite shows the ping to each matchmaking region and picks the lowest one on Auto.
Settings worth checking
- Settings → Game → Matchmaking Region: leave on Auto, or pick the region with the lowest ping shown.
- Settings → Game → HUD: turn on Net Debug Stats to watch ping and packet loss.
- Settings → Video: turn off Replay Recording if matches stutter.
Fortnite downloads large updates in the background through the Epic launcher; pause them before you play.
Ping to nearby server regions
Epic Games doesn't publish test addresses for its game servers, so this measures the cloud regions where most online games and voice chat run. It shows the lowest ping your connection can reach in each area and whether your provider takes a detour.
Ping to game and call servers
Round trips to the cloud regions where most game, voice and video servers run. Distance sets a floor on your ping that no setting at home can lower, so pick the closest region when a game lets you.
Fortnite ports
Forwarding these fixes connection problems such as strict NAT or voice chat that won't connect. It doesn't lower lag on its own. Most routers with UPnP turned on open them automatically.
| Protocol | Ports |
|---|---|
| TCP | 80, 443, 3478–3479, 5060, 5062, 5222, 6250, 12000–65000 |
| UDP | 80, 443, 3478–3479, 5060, 5062, 6250, 12000–65000 |
As listed by Epic Games; they can change, so check Epic Games support if something doesn't work. Test a forward with the port checker.