Crash/Freeze Fortnite

Fortnite Match Crash on Emote Use - Troubleshooting Guide

📅 Published: 2026-02-05 🔄 Updated: 2026-02-05 👥 Reports: 188 ⚡ Severity: 🔴 High

🎯 Quick Answer

The primary solution is to avoid using the specific emote linked to the crash and report the bug to Epic Games with reproduction steps and platform details.

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

The error is an unhandled exception or memory access violation triggered by specific in-game character animation sequences, colloquially associated with the "BTTF" emote. This fault condition causes a cascading failure in the game session's synchronization logic, resulting in a full match termination for all connected clients. The issue manifests on all platforms where Fortnite operates, including Windows, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and Android. Analysis indicates the error occurs in the current game version's live build and is not present in all instances of emote execution, classifying it as an intermittent bug. The severity is game-breaking, as it terminates the active match for the entire lobby. No specific error code is presented to the end-user; the application either closes abruptly or the match disintegrates with all players experiencing connection timeouts.

SECTION 2: SYMPTOMS

The application terminates unexpectedly for multiple clients simultaneously during a live match. The crash sequence initiates immediately upon the local client executing a specific emote animation. Network connectivity to the game session is lost for all participants, evidenced by the mass disappearance of player indicators and a forced return to the lobby menu. The local client may display a generic "Network Connection Lost" message or experience a full application crash to desktop or console dashboard. The event log on Windows systems may record an application fault for FortniteClient-Win64-Shipping.exe with a module fault offset, but no consistent user-facing error code is generated.

SECTION 3: COMMON CAUSES

Category: Game Bug

Specific technical explanation: A memory corruption or null pointer dereference within the animation blueprint or skeletal mesh component for a specific cosmetic item. The emote's unique particle effects or audio triggers an unstable code path in the current build. Why this causes the problem: The server attempts to replicate the faulty animation state to all clients, propagating the crash condition or causing a desync that invalidates the game session.

Category: Software Conflict

Specific technical explanation: Third-party overlay software (Discord, Xbox Game Bar, NVIDIA ShadowPlay) hooking into the DirectX rendering pipeline interferes with the emote's custom shader or particle effect rendering. Why this causes the problem: The injected overlay code alters the rendering call sequence, leading to a GPU driver timeout or a memory allocation conflict that crashes the graphics context.

Category: Configuration Error

Specific technical explanation: Corrupted local cosmetic or animation cache files specific to the problematic emote. The local asset does not match the server's expected data hash. Why this causes the problem: The client attempts to render an asset using mismatched data, causing a rendering engine fault that the anti-cheat system interprets as a violation, terminating the session.

Category: Hardware Issue

Specific technical explanation: GPU memory (VRAM) instability or overclocking. The emote's complex particle effects exceed typical VRAM allocation patterns, triggering a fault in an already unstable memory subsystem. Why this causes the problem: The graphics driver encounters an unrecoverable error during texture streaming for the emote, forcing a driver reset that crashes the game.

Category: Network Problem

Specific technical explanation: High packet loss or latency spike coinciding with the emote's activation. The server-client state for the complex animation becomes irreconcilably divergent. Why this causes the problem: The server's reconciliation logic fails, potentially triggering an anti-cheat safeguard or causing a fatal network stack error that dismantles the match.

SECTION 4: SOLUTIONS

Solution 1: Avoid the Problematic Emote and Report the Bug

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

Immediately unequip the "BTTF" emote and any other emotes suspected of causing match instability from your Locker.
Navigate to the official Epic Games Player Support site.
Select "Fortnite" and the category "Bug Report".
In the report, provide the exact emote name, the time of the crash, and your platform (e.g., Windows 10, PlayStation 5).
Detail the reproduction steps: "Equip the 'BTTF' emote, enter a Reload match, and use the emote."
Include any video evidence you have recorded, as this drastically aids the development team in identifying the root cause.

Technical Explanation: This is a workaround that prevents triggering the specific unstable code path. Reporting with precise technical details provides Epic Games' QA team with the necessary data to replicate, diagnose, and patch the underlying animation system bug in a future game update. Verification: The match no longer crashes when using emotes. Verification of the fix is confirmed by stable match continuity after using other, non-problematic emotes.

Solution 2: Verify Game Files and Clear Cosmetic Cache

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 10-15 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: None Steps:

Launch the Epic Games Launcher.
Click on your library and locate Fortnite.
Click the three dots (...) below the game title and select "Manage".
Click the "Verify" button. The launcher will scan and repair any corrupted or missing game files.
After verification, navigate to the local cache directory. For Windows, this is %LOCALAPPDATA%\FortniteGame\Saved.
Locate and delete the Cosmetics.assets and Cosmetics.assets.ver files (or the entire CosmeticLoadouts folder if present).
Restart the Epic Games Launcher and launch Fortnite. The game will redownload fresh cosmetic data.

Technical Explanation: Corrupted animation or cosmetic asset files can cause the game engine to fault when loading specific emotes. Verification replaces bad files, and clearing the cosmetic cache forces a fresh, uncorrupted download from Epic's servers, ensuring asset integrity. Verification: The game launches normally and re-downloads cosmetic data. The previously problematic emote, if re-equipped, may function without causing a crash if the issue was local asset corruption.

Solution 3: Disable Third-Party Overlays and Background Capture

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 10 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: None Steps:

Discord: Open Discord User Settings > "Activity Privacy" > disable "Register games as running" and "Display currently running game". Under "Game Overlay", disable "Enable in-game overlay".
Xbox Game Bar: Press Win + G to open Game Bar. Go to Settings (cog icon) and disable "Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using Game Bar". Alternatively, in Windows Settings > Gaming > Xbox Game Bar, turn it "Off".
NVIDIA ShadowPlay/GeForce Experience: Open GeForce Experience. Click the Settings (gear) icon. Navigate to the "General" tab and toggle the "In-Game Overlay" to "Off".
Steam Overlay: If launching via Steam, go to Steam > Settings > In-Game and uncheck "Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game".
Restart your computer to ensure all overlay services are fully terminated, then launch Fortnite.

Technical Explanation: Overlays inject code into the game's rendering pipeline. This can create conflicts with Fortnite's custom Unreal Engine rendering, especially for complex particle effects in emotes, leading to access violations or driver crashes. Verification: Launch Fortnite and check that no overlay hotkeys (e.g., Alt+Z for NVIDIA) activate within the game. Match stability is maintained when using various emotes.

Solution 4: Update or Perform a Clean Install of Graphics Drivers

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 15 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Administrator access Steps:

Identify your GPU model via Device Manager (Open devmgmt.msc and expand "Display adapters").
Download the latest driver package directly from NVIDIA (https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx), AMD (https://www.amd.com/en/support), or Intel.
Download and run the Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) tool from Guru3D.
Boot Windows into Safe Mode. Run DDU, select your GPU vendor, and choose "Clean and restart".
After the restart, install the freshly downloaded driver package using the "Custom" or "Advanced" install option and check "Perform a clean installation".
Reboot your system after installation completes.

Technical Explanation: Outdated or corrupted GPU drivers contain bugs in their DirectX 12 or Vulkan implementation that can cause memory leaks or faults when processing specific shader instructions used by emote effects. A clean install removes all residual configuration files that may cause conflicts. Verification: Check driver version in GPU control panel. Launch Fortnite and observe stable performance, particularly during graphically intensive sequences like emote animations with particles.

Solution 5: Adjust Fortnite Graphics Settings for Stability

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

Launch Fortnite and enter the Settings menu from the lobby.
Navigate to the "Video Settings" tab.
Set "Rendering Mode" to "DirectX 11" (or "Performance" if on a lower-end system). Avoid "DirectX 12" as it is more prone to driver-level instability with alpha effects.
Set "Effects" quality to "Low" or "Medium". This reduces the complexity of particle systems used by emotes.
Disable "VSync" and set "Frame Rate Limit" to a value your monitor can consistently achieve.
Apply the settings and restart the game.

Technical Explanation: Reducing the graphical load on the particle and effects system may prevent the specific rendering call that triggers the crash. Switching from DirectX 12 to the more mature DirectX 11 backend can bypass rendering path bugs present in the newer API's implementation for the game. Verification: The game runs with the new graphical settings. While visual fidelity is reduced, match crashes when using emotes may cease.

SECTION 5: PREVENTION

Maintain a regular schedule for verifying game file integrity through the Epic Games Launcher, particularly after major game updates. Configure graphics drivers to update automatically or check for updates bi-weekly. Establish a standard practice of disabling non-essential background applications, especially recording and overlay software, before launching Fortnite. Monitor the official Epic Games Fortnite Status page or Trello board for acknowledged issues regarding specific cosmetic items. If a particular item is identified as unstable, refrain from equipping it until a patch is confirmed in the update notes.

SECTION 6: WHEN TO CONTACT SUPPORT

Contact Epic Games Player Support only after exhausting all applicable solutions and if the crash condition expands to include multiple, unrelated cosmetic items or general gameplay. Prepare to provide diagnostic information: include the full path to the game log files (typically %LOCALAPPDATA%\FortniteGame\Saved\Logs) and a DxDiag report (run dxdiag and "Save All Information"). Official support channels are located at the Epic Games Player Support website. Escalation is warranted when the bug is reproducible and systematically disrupts game stability beyond a single identified asset.