Crash/Freeze Fortnite

Fortnite PC Game Crash Every Match - Comprehensive Fix Guide

📅 Published: 2026-02-06 🔄 Updated: 2026-02-06 👥 Reports: 9 ⚡ Severity: 🟢 Low

🎯 Quick Answer

Reinstall the DirectX runtime and Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables, then monitor your CPU temperature during gameplay to rule out thermal throttling.

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

The Fortnite PC crash error is an application termination that occurs during gameplay, specifically after the introduction of rift anomalies or other intensive graphical events. This error primarily affects the Windows platform across both the Epic Games Launcher and standalone client versions. The issue manifests in recent game seasons following major content updates. This is a common error with a high severity impact, as it results in a complete and unrecoverable game crash, terminating the match for the affected player. The error is frequently associated with crash handler dialogues that may reference DirectX or general application faults, though specific error codes are not always presented to the user.

SECTION 2: SYMPTOMS

The application terminates unexpectedly during a match, typically coinciding with the rendering of rift anomalies or other particle-heavy effects. The crash handler dialog from the Epic Games Launcher appears, prompting the user to send a crash report. The game window closes entirely, returning the user to the desktop or the Epic Games Launcher interface. No error recovery is possible; the user must relaunch the game. In some instances, the crash generates a log file in the game's diagnostic directory without displaying a visible error message.

SECTION 3: COMMON CAUSES

Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Corrupted or missing Microsoft DirectX runtime components, specifically the DirectX 12 libraries required for the DX12 and DX11 rendering paths. The game engine fails to initialize necessary graphical APIs during intensive scene rendering. Why this causes the problem: The crash occurs when the game executable calls a function from a damaged or outdated d3d12.dll or related system file, causing an access violation. Category: Hardware Issue Specific technical explanation: CPU or GPU thermal throttling due to inadequate cooling or excessive ambient temperature. Hardware performance degrades to prevent damage, causing the game engine to fail. Why this causes the problem: When the processor temperature exceeds its safe operational limit, it reduces clock speed, leading to a sudden drop in performance that the game's timing and rendering loops cannot handle, resulting in a crash. Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Incompatible or corrupted Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable packages (2015-2022). Fortnite depends on these shared libraries for core functions. Why this causes the problem: The game's compiled code links to specific functions in vcruntime140.dll or ucrtbase.dll. A version mismatch or file corruption causes a missing entry point error. Category: Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: Damaged or conflicting local game configuration files in %LOCALAPPDATA%\FortniteGame\Saved\Config\WindowsClient\. Why this causes the problem: The GameUserSettings.ini or Engine.ini files contain invalid parameters for the new season's content, causing the renderer or physics engine to attempt an illegal operation. Category: Game Bug Specific technical explanation: A memory leak or resource handle leak in the game client related to the new rift anomaly particle systems, exacerbated by specific hardware configurations. Why this causes the problem: The game's memory allocation for transient visual effects exceeds available virtual memory or fails to release handles, leading to an out-of-memory condition or a DirectX device-lost error. Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Outdated, corrupted, or incompatible graphics driver, particularly versions known to have stability issues with Unreal Engine 5's Nanite or Lumen features. Why this causes the problem: The driver's shader compiler or memory management routines fail to correctly process the new graphical assets, resulting in a driver timeout (TDR) or a direct crash.

SECTION 4: SOLUTIONS

Solution 1: Repair DirectX and Visual C++ Runtime Libraries

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 15 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Administrator access, active internet connection. Steps:

Press Windows Key + R, type appwiz.cpl, and press Enter to open Programs and Features.
In the list, uninstall every instance of "Microsoft Visual C++ 20XX Redistributable" (both x86 and x64 versions from 2015 through 2022).
Download the latest Visual C++ Redistributable installer from the official Microsoft website. Install both the x86 and x64 versions.
Navigate to C:\Program Files\Epic Games\Fortnite\FortniteGame\Binaries\Win64\.
Locate the DirectX installer files (typically DXSETUP.exe). Right-click DXSETUP.exe and select "Run as administrator" to repair the DirectX runtime.
Restart your computer.

Technical Explanation: This process ensures all shared system libraries the game depends on are present, correctly registered, and free from version conflicts, which resolves crashes stemming from failed API calls. Verification: Launch Fortnite and complete a full match. The crash handler dialog no longer appears when rift anomalies are rendered.

Solution 2: Monitor and Resolve CPU/GPU Overheating

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 20 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Hardware monitoring software (e.g., HWMonitor, MSI Afterburner). Steps:

Download and install a hardware monitoring tool like HWMonitor.
Launch the monitoring tool and then launch Fortnite. Play a match in windowed mode or with a second monitor displaying the tool.
Observe the maximum temperature recorded for the CPU package and GPU during gameplay, specifically noting temperatures at the moment of a crash.
If temperatures exceed 85°C for the CPU or 90°C for the GPU, overheating is the likely cause.
Power down the PC and perform physical maintenance: clear dust from heatsinks and fans, ensure all fans are operational, and verify that CPU coolers are properly seated.
Consider using a utility like MSI Afterburner to apply a more aggressive fan curve to the GPU.

Technical Explanation: Thermal throttling causes sudden, severe drops in processor clock speed, creating timing mismatches in the game engine's main loop and rendering pipeline that lead to a fatal error. Verification: After cleaning and maintenance, monitored temperatures remain below thermal throttle limits (typically <80°C CPU, <85°C GPU) during extended gameplay, and crashes cease.

Solution 3: Perform a Clean Reinstallation of Graphics Drivers

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 20 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Administrator access. Steps:

Download the latest graphics driver package from NVIDIA's or AMD's website, but do not install it yet.
Download Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) from www.guru3d.com.
Boot Windows into Safe Mode. To do this, open System Configuration (msconfig), go to the Boot tab, check "Safe boot," select "Network," and restart.
Run DDU in Safe Mode. Select your GPU vendor (NVIDIA/AMD/Intel) and choose "Clean and restart."
After the restart into normal Windows, install the previously downloaded graphics driver package. Select "Custom Installation" and check "Perform a clean installation."
Restart the computer after installation completes.

Technical Explanation: A clean installation removes all previous driver files, registry entries, and configuration profiles that may contain corrupted shader cache data or incorrect settings conflicting with the new season's rendering features. Verification: The Device Manager shows the correct, latest driver version with no warning symbols. Fortnite's rendering artifacts are absent, and crash frequency is reduced.

Solution 4: Reset Local Fortnite Configuration Files

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 10 minutes Success Rate: Medium Steps:

Fully close the Epic Games Launcher and Fortnite. Ensure FortniteClient-Win64-Shipping.exe is not running in Task Manager.
Navigate to %LOCALAPPDATA%\FortniteGame\Saved\ (paste this into the File Explorer address bar).
Rename the entire Saved folder to Saved_Backup.
Launch the Epic Games Launcher and start Fortnite. The game will generate a new, default Saved folder with fresh configuration files.
Reconfigure your in-game video and audio settings. Do not copy old files from the backup.

Technical Explanation: This eliminates corrupted or season-incompatible settings in GameUserSettings.ini, Engine.ini, and input configuration files that can cause the renderer to fail when loading specific assets. Verification: A new Saved folder is created upon launch. Game stability is tested with default settings before restoring personal keybinds only.

Solution 5: Analyze and Submit the Crash Log

Difficulty: Advanced Time Required: 10 minutes Success Rate: Low (Diagnostic) Prerequisites: Crash handler dialog is present. Steps:

When the Fortnite crash dialog appears, click the "Write" or "Type" button to activate the text field.
Right-click in the text field and select "Paste." This pastes the detailed crash log from the clipboard.
The log contains module names and error codes. Look for phrases like EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION or specific DLLs like dxgi.dll or nvwgf2umx.dll.
Search the error code (e.g., 0x887A0006) online to identify if it is a known DirectX Device Removed error.
Use this specific information to target troubleshooting (e.g., a nvwgf2umx.dll error confirms a NVIDIA driver fault).

Technical Explanation: The crash log contains the exact exception code, faulting module, and stack trace, which diagnoses whether the failure is in a graphics driver, DirectX runtime, or the game executable itself. Verification: The log provides a definitive technical cause, moving diagnosis from speculation to targeted action based on the faulting module name and error code.

Solution 6: Adjust Windows Virtual Memory (Pagefile) Settings

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

Press Windows Key + Pause/Break to open System Properties.
Click "Advanced system settings" on the left, then under Performance, click "Settings."
Go to the Advanced tab and click "Change..." under Virtual memory.
Uncheck "Automatically manage paging file size for all drives."
Select your primary drive (usually C:), select "Custom size," and set both Initial size and Maximum size to 1.5 times your total installed RAM (e.g., for 16GB RAM, set 24576 MB).
Click "Set," then "OK," and restart your computer.

Technical Explanation: A fixed, sufficiently large pagefile prevents out-of-memory conditions caused by memory leaks in the game client, providing a buffer that can prevent a hard crash. Verification: The system no longer generates "Out of memory" warnings in the Windows Event Viewer, and game stability improves during extended play sessions.

SECTION 5: PREVENTION

Maintain a regular schedule for updating graphics drivers, but wait 48 hours after a major game season launch to confirm driver stability. Use a monitoring tool to establish a baseline for your CPU and GPU temperatures during normal gameplay and clean your system internals of dust every three months. After every major Fortnite update, verify the game files through the Epic Games Launcher before playing. Configure Windows to generate crash dump files (%LOCALAPPDATA%\CrashDumps\) for future analysis if crashes recur.

SECTION 6: WHEN TO CONTACT SUPPORT

Contact Epic Games Support if all solutions fail and the crash log indicates a fault within the FortniteClient-Win64-Shipping.exe module itself. Provide the full crash log text, your DxDiag report (from running dxdiag and saving all information), and the exact time of the crash. Official support channels are accessible via the Epic Games Help Center. Escalation is necessary when the error is confirmed to be a reproducible game bug requiring a client patch.