Network Issue Fortnite

Lag Spikes - Fortnite Fix Guide

📅 Published: 2026-02-06 🔄 Updated: 2026-02-06 👥 Reports: 8 ⚡ Severity: 🟢 Low

🎯 Quick Answer

The most effective solution is to close all background applications that inject into the game process, such as Discord Overlay, RTSS, or MSI Afterburner, and perform a clean installation of your GPU drivers.

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

Lag spikes in Fortnite refer to sudden, temporary increases in network latency (ping) or system latency (frame time), resulting in intermittent game world freezes or character rubberbanding. This issue primarily affects the Windows PC platform, though similar network-induced latency can occur on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. The problem manifests across all recent versions of Fortnite and the Unreal Engine it operates on. This is a common performance issue. The severity ranges from a minor gameplay annoyance to a game-breaking impairment in competitive modes, as it disrupts real-time input response and server synchronization. No specific error codes are typically generated; the problem is diagnosed through observable performance degradation.

SECTION 2: SYMPTOMS

The primary symptom is a sudden, temporary spike in the on-screen network latency (ping) counter, often exceeding 200-500ms, accompanied by a simultaneous increase in frame time. During a spike, the game world freezes or characters and objects stutter or teleport (rubberband). Inputs are queued and executed rapidly once the spike ends. This occurs unpredictably during standard gameplay, often intensifying during combat or when new assets load. The in-game performance stats display (N key) will show a sharp peak in the Ping (ms) and possibly Frame Time (ms) graphs. Audio may stutter or loop during the freeze period.

SECTION 3: COMMON CAUSES

Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Third-party applications that inject overlay or hooking DLLs into the game process, such as Discord Overlay, RivaTuner Statistics Server (RTSS), MSI Afterburner, or screen recording software, create scheduling conflicts with Fortnite's anti-cheat (Easy Anti-Cheat) and the Unreal Engine. This injection causes intermittent CPU scheduling delays, resulting in frame time spikes. Why this causes the problem: The injected code executes on the same threads as the game, causing micro-stutters when the overlay services poll for input or update. Category: Network Problem Specific technical explanation: Bufferbloat in the user's home router or modem, where network buffers fill during upload/download, causing excessive packet queueing delay. This is often triggered by other devices on the network performing bandwidth-intensive tasks. Why this causes the problem: Saturating the upload or download link increases latency for game packets (UDP ports 5222, 5795-5847), creating the rubberbanding effect. Category: Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: Outdated, corrupted, or improperly installed GPU drivers. Using generic Windows Update drivers or leaving remnants of previous driver installations can cause DirectX 12 shader compilation stutters and memory management conflicts. Why this causes the problem: The driver is responsible for managing VRAM and communicating with the Unreal Engine; faults cause the GPU command queue to stall. Category: Game Bug Specific technical explanation: Unreal Engine's shader compilation occurring mid-match. The engine compiles shaders for new assets on-the-fly, which monopolizes a CPU thread. Why this causes the problem: This single-threaded compilation process blocks the game thread, causing a frametime hitch until compilation completes. Category: Hardware Issue Specific technical explanation: Thermal throttling of the CPU or GPU. When temperatures exceed safe limits, hardware reduces clock speeds to prevent damage. Why this causes the problem: The sudden reduction in processing power cannot sustain the game's frame rate, causing a performance spike. Category: Network Problem Specific technical explanation: Party member actions triggering network synchronization events, such as a player joining the party or attempting to spectate. Why this causes the problem: The game client re-prioritizes network traffic to handle the new peer connection, which can temporarily interrupt gameplay packet flow.

SECTION 4: SOLUTIONS

Solution 1: Eliminate Software Injection Conflicts

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 10 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: None Steps:

Close Fortnite completely.
Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), and end tasks for: Discord, RivaTuner Statistics Server, MSI Afterburner, Overwolf, any screen recording software (ShadowPlay, ReLive, OBS), and overlay utilities (Steam Overlay, Xbox Game Bar if not needed).
For a persistent fix, disable these applications from launching on Windows startup via Task Manager > Startup tab.
Specifically, disable the Discord in-game overlay: Open Discord > User Settings > Game Overlay > toggle "Enable in-game overlay" to OFF.
Relaunch Fortnite and test in a non-competitive mode like Battle Lab.

Technical Explanation: This prevents external DLLs from hooking into the Fortnite process, eliminating thread scheduling conflicts and ensuring Easy Anti-Cheat operates without interference. Verification: Monitor the Frame Time graph in the in-game performance stats (N key). Consistent frame times without sudden, large peaks indicate the conflict is resolved.

Solution 2: Perform a Clean GPU Driver Installation

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 15 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Administrator access, internet connection to download driver. Steps:

Download the latest graphics driver from the official NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel website. Do not use Windows Update or third-party tools.
Download Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) from www.guru3d.com.
Boot Windows into Safe Mode. Access this via Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Advanced startup > Restart now > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart > Press 4.
Run DDU. Select your GPU vendor (NVIDIA/AMD/Intel) and choose "Clean and restart."
After Windows restarts normally, install the previously downloaded driver package. Select "Custom Installation" and check "Perform a clean installation."

Technical Explanation: DDU removes all remnants of previous drivers, registry entries, and old shader caches. A clean install ensures the GPU driver and Unreal Engine communicate without legacy corruption. Verification: Check driver version in GPU control panel. Stable performance after the first few minutes of gameplay (post-shader caching) confirms the fix.

Solution 3: Mitigate Network Bufferbloat

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

Run a Bufferbloat test at www.waveform.com/tools/bufferbloat. Note the grade.
Access your router's web interface (commonly 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1).
Locate Quality of Service (QoS) or Traffic Prioritization settings.
Enable QoS and set it to use "Bandwidth Limiter" or "Smart Queue Management (SQM)" mode.
Set the Upload and Download bandwidth limits to approximately 90-95% of your subscribed speed from your ISP.
If available, add a rule to prioritize traffic to your PC's IP address for ports UDP 5222 and 5795-5847.
Apply settings and restart the router.

Technical Explanation: Actively managing the packet queue with SQM prevents buffer saturation, keeping latency low even when other devices use the network. Verification: Re-run the Bufferbloat test. An "A" grade indicates successful configuration. In-game ping should remain stable during background downloads.

Solution 4: Pre-compile Unreal Engine Shaders

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: Medium Steps:

Launch Fortnite and navigate to the Settings menu.
Open the Video Settings tab.
Locate the Rendering Mode setting. If set to "DirectX 12," change it to "DirectX 11."
Apply the settings and restart the game as prompted.
Alternatively, if using DirectX 12 is preferred, set the Shader Cache Size in the NVIDIA/AMD control panel to "Unlimited" or "10 GB" to allow more on-disk storage for pre-compiled shaders.

Technical Explanation: DirectX 11 uses a more mature driver model with a more complete pre-compiled shader cache. This reduces the incidence of runtime shader compilation hitches compared to DirectX 12. Verification: Play several matches. The initial match may have stutters as the cache builds, but subsequent matches should exhibit fewer mid-game lag spikes.

Solution 5: Configure Fortnite for Consistent Performance

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

In Fortnite's Video Settings, set Window Mode to "Fullscreen" (not Fullscreen Windowed).
Set Frame Rate Limit to a stable value matching your monitor's refresh rate or slightly below your system's consistent average FPS.
Disable VSync and Motion Blur.
Set Graphics Quality Preset to a level (e.g., "Performance" or "Low") that ensures GPU utilization stays below 95% to prevent queue saturation.
In Windows, open Graphics Settings (System > Display > Graphics settings). Add FortniteClient-Win64-Shipping.exe (located in C:\Program Files\Epic Games\Fortnite\FortniteGame\Binaries\Win64) and set it to "High performance."

Technical Explanation: Fullscreen mode grants the game exclusive control over the display output, reducing composition latency. Capping the frame rate prevents the GPU from over-rendering, which can cause periodic driver-level stalls. Verification: Monitor GPU utilization via MSI Afterburner (after testing Solution 1). Consistent utilization below 98% and a stable framerate indicate proper configuration.

Solution 6: Monitor and Address Thermal Throttling

Difficulty: Advanced Time Required: 15 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Hardware monitoring software (HWMonitor, HWiNFO). Steps:

Download and run a hardware monitoring tool like HWiNFO64 in sensors-only mode.
Launch Fortnite and play until a lag spike occurs.
Alt-Tab and check the maximum recorded temperatures for CPU Package and GPU.
If CPU or GPU temperatures exceed 90°C (for CPU) or 85°C (for GPU), thermal throttling is likely.
Address this by cleaning dust from system fans and heatsinks, ensuring proper airflow, and verifying all cooling fans are operational. Consider repasting the CPU/GPU if temperatures remain critically high.

Technical Explanation: Modern processors reduce clock speed when reaching their thermal design limit (TjMax). This immediate reduction in clock speed causes a sudden drop in computational throughput, manifesting as a frametime spike. Verification: After cleaning/repasting, repeat the monitoring test. Maximum temperatures should be 10-15°C below the throttle threshold under load, and lag spikes correlating with temperature peaks should cease.

SECTION 5: PREVENTION

Prevent recurrence by maintaining a clean software environment: avoid unnecessary overlay software and perform a clean GPU driver update every 2-3 months. Configure your router's SQM settings permanently. Set Fortnite's process priority to "High" via a script or task manager after each launch. Regularly clean your PC internals to prevent dust accumulation and thermal throttling. Use a wired Ethernet connection instead of Wi-Fi for consistent network latency. Schedule weekly reboots of your router and PC to clear memory leaks and state corruption in network stacks.

SECTION 6: WHEN TO CONTACT SUPPORT

Contact Epic Games Support if all hardware-focused solutions fail and the issue persists across multiple different networks (e.g., at a friend's house). Provide diagnostic information including a DXDiag report, the Fortnite game logs from %LocalAppData%\FortniteGame\Saved\Logs, and a detailed timeline of the spikes. Also include the results of a continuous ping test to 8.8.8.8 during gameplay. Official support channels are accessible via the Epic Games Help Center at epicgames.com/help. Escalate only after confirming the issue is not local to your system hardware or ISP.