Game Error Fortnite

Character Jitter After Editing or Mantling - Fortnite Fix Guide

📅 Published: 2026-02-06 🔄 Updated: 2026-02-06 👥 Reports: 6 ⚡ Severity: 🟢 Low

🎯 Quick Answer

Disable the "Performance Mode" graphical preset in Fortnite's Video settings, as this rendering mode is the primary cause of post-animation character jitter.

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

The character jitter glitch is a graphical and animation synchronization error in Fortnite. This error manifests as a rapid, stuttering visual artifact affecting the player character model immediately following specific in-game actions. The issue primarily affects the Windows PC platform. The glitch occurs across multiple game client versions following the introduction of the Performance Mode rendering option. This is a common error with a high reproduction rate on affected system configurations. The severity is classified as a minor visual annoyance; it does not cause game crashes or directly impact gameplay mechanics. No specific error codes are generated by this glitch, as it is a client-side rendering artifact.

SECTION 2: SYMPTOMS

The primary symptom is a rapid, horizontal stuttering or shaking of the player character model. This jitter occurs within a 1-2 second window immediately after completing a build edit or a mantle/vault animation. The character model visually snaps between positions before stabilizing. The game client remains fully responsive and network connectivity is unaffected during the event. The error is reproducible under consistent conditions: using Performance Mode graphics and performing the triggering actions.

SECTION 3: COMMON CAUSES

Category: Game Bug / Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: The "Performance Mode" graphical preset utilizes a simplified rendering pipeline and aggressive model LOD (Level of Detail) switching. A flaw in the animation state machine causes incorrect model positioning updates after certain action states conclude. Why this causes the problem: The rendering thread and the game logic thread desynchronize briefly during the transition from an editing or mantling animation back to the idle state, resulting in visual jitter. Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Outdated or corrupted GPU driver shader cache conflicts with Fortnite's custom shaders used in Performance Mode. Why this causes the problem: The driver attempts to compile or use incorrect cached shaders for post-animation character rendering, causing instability in the model's positional data. Category: Hardware Issue Specific technical explanation: A CPU bottleneck or thermal throttling during the specific frame period following an animation. Why this causes the problem: The sudden load from processing the animation conclusion and physics recalculation can cause missed frame deadlines on borderline systems, manifesting as jitter. Category: Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: In-game "Multithreaded Rendering" setting being disabled while using a high-refresh-rate monitor. Why this causes the problem: This forces all rendering calculations onto a single thread, increasing the chance of desync between animation logic and frame presentation after action states. Category: Game Bug Specific technical explanation: A latent bug in the character skin's rigging or skeleton file that interacts poorly with the optimized animation system in Performance Mode. Why this causes the problem: Certain cosmetic items may have minor rigging inconsistencies that are exaggerated by the simplified rendering path, causing interpolation errors.

SECTION 4: SOLUTIONS

Solution 1: Disable Performance Mode Rendering

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 2 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: None Steps:

Launch Fortnite and enter the main menu.
Open the Settings menu by clicking the gear icon in the top right.
Navigate to the Video Settings tab.
Locate the Rendering Mode setting.
Change the setting from Performance to DirectX 11, DirectX 12, or Auto.
Apply the changes and restart the game client as prompted.

Technical Explanation: This resolves the error by switching from the bug-affected Performance Mode rendering pipeline to a standard graphics API pipeline (DX11/DX12), which uses a different and stable animation synchronization method. Verification: Load into a match and perform multiple edit and mantle actions. The character model should transition smoothly from these animations without any visual jitter or stuttering.

Solution 2: Reset Graphics Configuration Files

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Game client must be fully closed. Steps:

Close the Fortnite game client completely.
Navigate to the local game settings directory: C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\FortniteGame\Saved\Config\WindowsClient.
Locate the file named GameUserSettings.ini.
Rename this file to GameUserSettings.ini.old.
Launch Fortnite. The game will generate a new, default configuration file.

Technical Explanation: This clears any corrupted or misconfigured settings values that may be forcing unstable rendering options, even if the UI shows correct settings. A fresh INI file ensures all parameters are at known-good defaults. Verification: After launch, re-enter the Video Settings menu. All options will be reset. Reconfigure desired settings (avoiding Performance Mode) and test for the jitter glitch.

Solution 3: Update and Clean Install GPU Drivers

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 10 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Administrator access, internet connection. Steps:

Download the latest graphics driver from the official NVIDIA (https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx) or AMD (https://www.amd.com/en/support) website.
Download the Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) utility from https://www.guru3d.com/download/display-driver-uninstaller-download/.
Boot Windows into Safe Mode.
Run DDU and select "Clean and restart" for your GPU type.
After reboot, install the freshly downloaded driver package, selecting "Custom Installation" and checking "Perform clean installation".

Technical Explanation: A clean installation removes old shader cache files and registry entries that can conflict with Fortnite's rendering, ensuring the driver uses only updated, compatible shaders for animation processing. Verification: Check driver version in NVIDIA Control Panel or AMD Radeon Software. Launch Fortnite and monitor for the jitter glitch after performing edit/mantle actions.

Solution 4: Adjust Advanced Graphics Settings

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 3 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Must not be using Performance Mode. Steps:

In Fortnite's Video Settings, ensure Rendering Mode is set to DX11 or DX12.
Locate the Advanced Graphics section.
Set Multithreaded Rendering to On.
Set NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency to On + Boost (NVIDIA) or disable it (AMD).
Apply settings and restart the game.

Technical Explanation: Enabling Multithreaded Rendering distributes rendering load, preventing CPU bottlenecks during animation transitions. Adjusting Reflex settings can stabilize frame pacing, which reduces visual artifacts during rapid state changes. Verification: The post-animation jitter should be reduced or eliminated. Use the in-game performance overlay (Alt+R) to confirm stable frame times during editing/mantling.

Solution 5: Verify Fortnite Game Files

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 5-15 minutes Success Rate: Low Prerequisites: Epic Games Launcher, game client closed. Steps:

Open the Epic Games Launcher.
Navigate to your Library.
Click the three dots (...) under the Fortnite tile.
Select Manage.
Click the Verify button. The launcher will scan and repair any corrupted game files.

Technical Explanation: This process checks the local game installation against the official Epic Games server manifest. It replaces missing or altered core game files, including potential faulty animation or rendering assets. Verification: The launcher will display a "Verified successfully" message. Launch the game and test for the glitch.

Solution 6: Disallow Fullscreen Optimizations

Difficulty: Advanced Time Required: 3 minutes Success Rate: Low Prerequisites: Administrator access may be required. Steps:

Navigate to the Fortnite executable. Default path: C:\Program Files\Epic Games\Fortnite\FortniteGame\Binaries\Win64\FortniteClient-Win64-Shipping.exe.
Right-click the .exe file and select Properties.
Navigate to the Compatibility tab.
Check the box for Disable fullscreen optimizations.
Click Apply and OK.

Technical Explanation: This prevents Windows from intercepting and applying its own presentation logic to the game, which can sometimes interfere with the timing of frame presentation and animation updates. Verification: Launch the game. The glitch may present differently or be reduced in severity.

SECTION 5: PREVENTION

To prevent recurrence, maintain a regular GPU driver update schedule, checking for updates bi-monthly. Always use the "Clean Installation" option during driver updates. Avoid using the Performance Mode rendering preset unless strictly necessary for system performance. Periodically verify the integrity of the game files through the Epic Games Launcher after major game updates. Monitor system temperatures using utilities like HWMonitor to ensure CPU/GPU thermal throttling is not introducing instability during high-action gameplay sequences.

SECTION 6: WHEN TO CONTACT SUPPORT

Contact Epic Games Support if the jitter persists after testing all standard rendering modes (DX11, DX12) on updated, clean-installed drivers and with default game settings. Provide the full diagnostic report generated by the Epic Games Launcher, located in the logs folder. Include your system's DxDiag report. Official support channels are accessible via the "Contact Us" section at https://www.epicgames.com/help.