Game Error Fortnite

Fortnite DSO1 Error in Crown Jam - Complete Fix Guide

📅 Published: 2026-02-06 🔄 Updated: 2026-02-06 👥 Reports: 13 ⚡ Severity: 🟡 Medium

🎯 Quick Answer

The DSO1 error is a matchmaking restriction; perform a full game restart and verify your account status to clear the temporary penalty.

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

The DSO1 error is a client-side matchmaking restriction code within Fortnite. This error prevents players from initiating or joining specific game modes, such as Crown Jam or Ranked playlists. The error affects all platforms where Fortnite operates, including Windows (via Epic Games Launcher), PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. This issue occurs across multiple game versions and updates. The DSO1 error is classified as a common occurrence following specific player actions. Its severity is game-breaking for the targeted mode, as it completely blocks matchmaking initiation. The exact error message presented to the user is "DSO1," typically displayed when attempting to ready up or launch a match. This code indicates a temporary competitive integrity penalty applied to the player account.

SECTION 2: SYMPTOMS

The primary symptom is the matchmaking process terminating upon the user selecting the "Ready Up" or "Play" button for a specific game mode. The application displays the error code "DSO1" in a dialog box or notification area, often with a generic failure message. The game client remains functional in all other aspects; the user can navigate menus, access the locker, or queue for other, non-restricted playlists. The error occurs consistently when attempting to queue for the affected mode. No crash or application termination occurs. The system returns the user to the lobby screen after the error message is acknowledged.

SECTION 3: COMMON CAUSES

Category: Game Bug / Account Penalty Specific technical explanation: Premature exit from a previous competitive match (Crown Jam, Ranked, Tournament) before elimination or match conclusion. The anti-abandonment system flags the account with a temporary matchmaking cooldown. Why this causes the problem: The Epic Games backend services attach a penalty state to the account, which the client reads as error DSO1 when attempting to queue for the same or similar competitive modes. Category: Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: Corrupted local matchmaking configuration or cache data stored in the %LOCALAPPDATA%\FortniteGame directory. Why this causes the problem: The local client cache retains an invalid session state or penalty flag that is not properly synchronized or cleared with the game servers. Category: Network Problem Specific technical explanation: A packet loss event or timeout during the previous match's conclusion, preventing the server from receiving the proper session-end signal. Why this causes the problem: The game servers interpret the network disruption as an unauthorized departure, triggering the same penalty logic as an intentional early leave. Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Outdated or corrupted Epic Games Launcher components interfering with the proper communication of account status between the client and backend services. Why this causes the problem: The launcher fails to fetch the updated account state, causing it to operate on stale penalty data. Category: Game Bug Specific technical explanation: A server-side synchronization error where a completed penalty timer is not properly cleared from the account's active status. Why this causes the problem: The matchmaking service continues to enforce a restriction that should have expired, rejecting all queue attempts with the DSO1 code.

SECTION 4: SOLUTIONS

Solution 1: Perform a Full Game and Launcher Restart

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: None Steps:

Completely close the Fortnite application.
On PC, right-click the system tray icon for the Epic Games Launcher and select Exit. On console, fully quit the game application.
Wait 60 seconds to ensure all processes terminate.
Restart the Epic Games Launcher or console and launch Fortnite.
Attempt to queue for the Crown Jam playlist.

Technical Explanation: This forces a fresh authentication handshake and pulls the current account status from Epic's servers, often clearing cached erroneous states. Verification: The DSO1 error no longer appears, and the matchmaking countdown begins successfully.

Solution 2: Verify and Wait for Penalty Cooldown

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 15 minutes to several hours Success Rate: High Prerequisites: None Steps:

After a full restart (Solution 1), attempt to queue for a standard, non-competitive mode like Battle Royale Solo.
If the standard mode works, the issue is isolated to competitive playlists.
Refrain from queueing for Crown Jam or Ranked for a minimum of 15 minutes.
During this time, ensure your internet connection is stable.
After the waiting period, restart the game and attempt to queue for Crown Jam.

Technical Explanation: Competitive matchmaking penalties are time-based cooldowns. This allows the server-side timer to expire completely. Verification: Successful entry into the Crown Jam matchmaking lobby indicates the penalty period has concluded.

Solution 3: Clear Fortnite Local AppData Cache

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 10 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Windows PC Steps:

Close Fortnite and the Epic Games Launcher completely.
Press Windows Key + R, type %LOCALAPPDATA%, and press Enter.
Locate and open the FortniteGame folder.
Open the Saved subfolder.
Delete the following folders: Config, Crashes, and Logs.
Navigate back to %LOCALAPPDATA%.
Locate and open the EpicGamesLauncher folder.
Delete the Saved folder within it.
Restart your computer.
Launch the Epic Games Launcher and Fortnite, allowing it to rebuild cache files.

Technical Explanation: This removes corrupted local configuration and session data that may be incorrectly reporting a persistent penalty state to the client. Verification: The game generates new Config and Logs folders upon launch. The DSO1 error should be resolved if it was caused by local data corruption.

Solution 4: Repair the Epic Games Launcher Installation

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 15 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Windows PC, Administrator rights Steps:

Close the Epic Games Launcher.
Open the Windows Control Panel and navigate to Programs and Features.
Locate Epic Games Launcher in the list of installed programs.
Select it and click Uninstall/Change.
In the dialog that appears, select the Repair option.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the repair process.
Restart your computer after the repair concludes.
Launch the Epic Games Launcher, verify it updates if prompted, and launch Fortnite.

Technical Explanation: This ensures all launcher components, including those responsible for communicating account status and entitlements, are intact and functioning correctly. Verification: The launcher operates without errors, and Fortnite launches normally. The DSO1 error should not block matchmaking.

Solution 5: Check Epic Games Server Status

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 2 minutes Success Rate: Low (but critical for diagnosis) Prerequisites: None Steps:

Open a web browser and navigate to the official Epic Games Status page (status.epicgames.com).
Locate the entry for Fortnite.
Check the status indicators for Matchmaking and Competitive services.
If any service shows Major Outage or Degraded Performance, the DSO1 error may be a global issue.
Wait for Epic Games to resolve the service disruption.

Technical Explanation: Widespread matchmaking failures can manifest as generic error codes on the client. This step rules out a global service outage as the root cause. Verification: All Fortnite services display an Operational status. If the error persists while services are operational, the cause is local.

Solution 6: Flush DNS and Renew Network Configuration

Difficulty: Advanced Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: Low Prerequisites: Windows PC, Administrator Command Prompt Steps:

Press Windows Key, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.
Execute the following commands in order, pressing Enter after each:

ipconfig /release ipconfig /flushdns ipconfig /renew netsh winsock reset

After the commands complete, restart your computer.
Power cycle your network hardware: unplug your modem and router for 60 seconds, then plug them back in.
Once your network is fully online, launch Fortnite and test.

Technical Explanation: This clears local DNS caches and resets the Windows socket catalog, resolving any network-level corruption that could cause session handshake failures with Epic's servers. Verification: A stable internet connection is re-established. The DSO1 error is resolved if it was related to a network state mismatch.

SECTION 5: PREVENTION

To prevent recurrence of the DSO1 error, always allow competitive matches to conclude fully before exiting. This includes waiting for the "Victory" or "Defeat" screen and the subsequent return to the lobby. Maintain a stable internet connection during gameplay to avoid network-based abandonment flags. Regularly verify the integrity of the Epic Games Launcher through its settings menu. Establish a routine to clear the local Fortnite cache (%LOCALAPPDATA%\FortniteGame\Saved) after major game updates. Ensure your operating system and network driver firmware are updated on a monthly schedule to minimize compatibility issues.

SECTION 6: WHEN TO CONTACT SUPPORT

Contact Epic Games Support if all documented solutions fail and the DSO1 error persists for over 24 hours without access to Crown Jam or Ranked modes. Before contacting, gather the following diagnostic information: your Epic Games account ID, platform, and the approximate time the error first occurred. Provide the contents of recent log files located in %LOCALAPPDATA%\FortniteGame\Saved\Logs. Official support channels are accessible via the Epic Games Help Center at epicgames.com/help. Escalation is necessary only when evidence suggests a server-side account flag error.