Game Error Fortnite

Glitchy Menus - Fortnite Fix Guide

📅 Published: 2026-02-06 🔄 Updated: 2026-02-06 👥 Reports: 1 ⚡ Severity: 🟢 Low

🎯 Quick Answer

Perform a clean reinstall of your graphics drivers and verify the integrity of Fortnite's game files through the Epic Games Launcher.

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

The glitchy menu error in Fortnite refers to a state of inconsistent graphical rendering and input latency within the game's user interface, specifically the pre-game lobby, settings menu, and social panels. This error manifests as visual stuttering, delayed button response, and erratic element behavior. The problem affects all platforms where Fortnite operates, including Windows PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. It occurs across multiple game versions, particularly following major content updates or seasonal transitions. This is a common issue with a moderate severity impact; it does not typically cause application crashes but significantly degrades the user experience and can impede party management and settings configuration. No specific error codes are generated, as the problem is a performance degradation within the UI subsystem rather than a fatal exception.

SECTION 2: SYMPTOMS

The application exhibits severe frame rate drops and input lag exclusively within menu interfaces, while in-match performance remains stable. The primary menu background and UI elements render with visible stutter and tearing. Navigation through menu tabs, particularly the Friends List and Settings screens, triggers prolonged unresponsiveness followed by erratic, rapid cursor or selection movement. Button presses experience a delay of 500ms to 2 seconds before registering. The Friends List panel frequently fails to populate correctly, displaying placeholder textures or blank entries before populating in a staggered manner. These symptoms persist regardless of in-game network ping metrics.

SECTION 3: COMMON CAUSES

Category: Software Conflict

Specific technical explanation: Outdated or corrupted GPU driver files conflict with Fortnite's DirectX 12 or Performance Mode rendering pipeline for the UI. Why this causes the problem: The driver's memory management for UI textures fails, causing constant read/write cycles that induce lag and visual artifacts in menu elements.

Category: Game Bug

Specific technical explanation: Corrupted or incomplete game installation, specifically within the FortniteGame/Content/Paks directory containing UI asset files. Why this causes the problem: The game client attempts to load missing or damaged .pak files for menu assets, resulting in rendering delays and interface stutter.

Category: Configuration Error

Specific technical explanation: Incorrect or overly aggressive settings in the GameUserSettings.ini file, such as an unsupported resolution or background frame rate cap. Why this causes the problem: The engine's frontend thread, responsible for the menu, is improperly synchronized with the rendering thread, causing input lag and visual glitches.

Category: Software Conflict

Specific technical explanation: Overlay applications from Discord, Xbox Game Bar, or NVIDIA GeForce Experience inject hooks that interfere with Fortnite's UI input stack. Why this causes the problem: The overlay's direct input capture creates a conflict, introducing processing latency for every menu navigation command.

Category: Network Problem

Specific technical explanation: Although ping is low, packet shaping or QoS rules on the router/ISP side throttle the specific TCP ports used for Epic Games social services (ports 443, 5222, 5795, 5847-5848). Why this causes the problem: The Friends List and social features rely on constant, low-latency communication on these ports; throttling causes the UI to hang while waiting for data.

Category: Hardware Issue

Specific technical explanation: Insufficient system RAM or VRAM causing constant paging to disk when the high-resolution menu assets load. Why this causes the problem: The menu environment, while not gameplay, can utilize significant VRAM for high-res textures; exceeding capacity forces texture streaming from the storage drive, inducing stutter.

Category: Configuration Error

Specific technical explanation: Windows Power Plan set to "Power saver" or NVIDIA/AMD Control Panel settings overriding Fortnite's application-specific 3D settings, forcing VSync or low power mode. Why this causes the problem: These settings cap or unpredictably throttle GPU and CPU performance during the menu, which often runs at an uncapped frame rate, leading to inconsistent behavior.

SECTION 4: SOLUTIONS

Solution 1: Verify Game Files and Update Drivers

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 15 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Epic Games Launcher installed, internet connection. Steps:

Open the Epic Games Launcher and navigate to your Library.
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.
Simultaneously, identify your GPU model. For NVIDIA: open NVIDIA GeForce Experience, go to the Drivers tab, and click Download for the latest Game Ready Driver. For AMD: use the AMD Adrenalin Software and check for updates. For integrated graphics, visit your PC manufacturer's support site or Intel's driver download center.
After downloading, run the installer. Select Custom Installation and check the box for Perform a clean installation. Complete the installation and restart your system.

Technical Explanation: This resolves the two most common root causes: corrupted game assets and faulty GPU drivers. A clean driver install removes previous configuration conflicts that affect UI rendering. Verification: Launch Fortnite and navigate to the Settings > Video menu. Confirm the driver version listed at the bottom matches the newly installed version. Observe menu navigation for improved responsiveness.

Solution 2: Adjust Critical Configuration Files

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 10 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Access to file system, Fortnite must not be running. Steps:

Navigate to the Fortnite configuration directory: C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\FortniteGame\Saved\Config\WindowsClient\.
Locate the file GameUserSettings.ini and open it with Notepad.
Find the following lines and ensure they are set to these values:

bUseVSync=False FrameRateLimit=60.000000 (Set this to 0.000000 if your display supports high refresh rates) LastUserConfirmedResolutionSizeX=1920 LastUserConfirmedResolutionSizeY=1080 (Match these to your native monitor resolution)

Find the [/Script/FortniteGame.FortGameUserSettings] section. Ensure the line PreferredRegion=Auto is present.
Save and close the file. Right-click the file, select Properties, and check the Read-only attribute to prevent the game from overwriting your changes on launch.
In the same directory, delete the WindowsClient.ini file. The game will regenerate a fresh copy with default values upon next launch.

Technical Explanation: This forces the game to use stable, standard settings. Deleting the client INI file removes any corrupted graphical or UI scaling settings that cause rendering loops in the menu. Verification: Launch Fortnite. The game will prompt you to confirm graphical settings. Accept the defaults that match your monitor. Test menu fluidity.

Solution 3: Disable Conflicting Overlay Software

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

Discord: Open Discord User Settings > Activity Privacy. Toggle off Display current activity as a status message. Then go to Game Overlay and toggle Enable in-game overlay to off.
Xbox Game Bar: Press Win + G to open the Game Bar. Click the Settings cog. Toggle off Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using Game Bar. Alternatively, type "Game Bar settings" in the Windows search bar and disable Open Xbox Game Bar using this button on a controller.
Steam: Exit the Steam client completely if it is running in the background.
NVIDIA/AMD Overlays: For NVIDIA, open GeForce Experience, click the Settings gear icon, and disable In-Game Overlay. For AMD, open Adrenalin Software, go to Settings (gear icon) > General, and disable In-Game Overlay.

Technical Explanation: Overlays hook into the DirectX or Vulkan API calls Fortnite uses to render its UI. Disabling them eliminates a layer of input and rendering latency, particularly for social features like the Friends List. Verification: Launch Fortnite after closing all overlay services. Check if the stuttering persists when opening the Friends List.

Solution 4: Configure Network Ports and DNS

Difficulty: Advanced Time Required: 20 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Access to router admin panel. Steps:

On your PC, open Command Prompt as Administrator. Execute the command ipconfig /flushdns.
Execute a second command: netsh int ip reset. Restart your computer.
Log into your router's administrative interface (typically via 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 in a web browser).
Locate the Port Forwarding or Port Triggering section. Create rules to forward the following TCP ports to your computer's local IP address: 443, 5222, 5795, 5847-5848.
In the same router interface, locate the QoS (Quality of Service) settings. Ensure any bandwidth limiting or traffic shaping rules are disabled for your gaming device, or prioritize its traffic.
Consider changing your DNS servers. In Windows Network Settings, set your DNS to 8.8.8.8 (Google Primary) and 8.8.4.4 (Google Secondary) or 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare).

Technical Explanation: Flushing DNS clears corrupted address cache. Port forwarding ensures unobstructed communication for Epic's social services, which the Friends List depends on. Disabling QoS prevents artificial latency for menu data packets. Verification: After router changes, test menu navigation. A more responsive Friends List that populates instantly indicates the fix was successful.

Solution 5: Perform a Clean Fortnite Reinstall

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 45-60 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Sufficient disk space, stable internet for re-download. Steps:

Fully exit the Epic Games Launcher via the system tray.
Press Win + R, type %localappdata%, and press Enter. Delete the FortniteGame folder.
Navigate to C:\Program Files\Epic Games (or your installation directory). Delete the Fortnite folder.
Open the Epic Games Launcher. Go to your Library and click the Install button for Fortnite. Choose a different installation directory if possible (e.g., a different drive).
After installation, launch the game directly from the newly created desktop shortcut before opening the Epic Launcher.

Technical Explanation: A clean install removes all locally cached and potentially corrupted data from %localappdata% and the main installation folder, ensuring a pristine build of the game client and its UI frameworks. Verification: The game will run its first-time setup. Monitor menu performance in this fresh state without any legacy configuration files.

Solution 6: Adjust Graphics Settings for Menus

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: In-game access. Steps:

Launch Fortnite and enter the Settings menu.
Navigate to the Video settings tab.
Set Window Mode to Fullscreen (not Windowed Fullscreen).
Set Rendering Mode to DirectX 11 (temporarily, even if you prefer Performance Mode or DX12).
Disable NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency or set it to Off.
Apply the changes and restart the game as prompted.

Technical Explanation: DirectX 11 uses a more stable, older rendering path with fewer known UI bugs. Fullscreen mode grants the application exclusive control over the display output, reducing compositor lag. Disabling Reflex removes an additional frame-pacing variable. Verification: After the restart, check for reduced input lag in menus. If stable, you can cautiously re-enable your preferred rendering mode to test.

SECTION 5: PREVENTION

Maintain a regular schedule for updating GPU drivers, performing a clean installation monthly or with every major game season. Configure Windows Update to deliver drivers automatically but verify their version against the manufacturer's website. In the Epic Games Launcher, enable automatic game updates. Periodically clear the %localappdata%\FortniteGame\Saved temporary folder. Monitor system temperatures and background process CPU usage using Task Manager to ensure no single application monopolizes resources when Fortnite is running. Avoid modifying core game files or .ini configurations with untested community edits.

SECTION 6: WHEN TO CONTACT SUPPORT

Contact Epic Games Support if all solutions fail and the glitchy menu behavior is replicated across multiple hardware configurations or accounts on the same device. Prior to contacting support, gather the following diagnostic information: the full output of the Fortnite crash logs located in %localappdata%\FortniteGame\Saved\Logs, a DxDiag report (run dxdiag and **