How do I fix graphic issues for Fortnite?

If Fortnite is not displaying correctly, appears pixelated, freezes, crashes, or shows a black screen, try the steps below. Please note that Competitive modes (Ranked, Tournaments, and similar modes) are restricted to a 16:9 aspect ratio. Black bars on the sides of your screen in these modes are expected behavior.

Check system requirements and in-game settings

1. Make sure your PC meets the minimum system requirements for Fortnite.
2. Open Fortnite.
3. Select the Main Menu in the top right.
4. Select Settings.
5. Under the Video tab, set Quality Presets to Low.
6. Set 3D Resolution to 100%.

If lowering settings improves the issue, you can gradually increase them to find the best balance between quality and stability.

Update your graphics drivers

Outdated graphics drivers are one of the most common causes of visual problems.

You can update your graphics drivers by following the steps in How do I update my video card drivers to fix problems with Fortnite?

Switch to Performance Mode

If you are using DirectX 12 and experiencing crashes, freezing, or black screens, switching to Performance Mode may help.

1. Open the Epic Games Launcher.
2. Select Settings.
3. Scroll down and expand Fortnite.
4. Enable Additional Command Line Arguments.
5. Enter -d3d12 -es31.
6. Launch Fortnite.

Set the correct graphics card (laptops and multi-GPU PCs)

If your PC has both integrated graphics and a dedicated graphics card, make sure Fortnite is using the high-performance GPU.

NVIDIA:

1. Right-click your desktop and select NVIDIA Control Panel.
2. Select Manage 3D Settings.
3. Open the Program Settings tab.
4. Select Fortnite from the list.
5. Set the preferred graphics processor to your high-performance GPU.

AMD:

1. Right-click your desktop and open Radeon Settings.
2. Go to Switchable Graphics or Graphics Settings.
3. Select Fortnite.
4. Set it to High Performance.

Fix settings that reset every time you launch the game

1. Press Windows Key + R.
2. Type %localappdata% and press Enter.
3. Open the FortniteGame folder.
4. Navigate to Saved → Config → WindowsClient.
5. Right-click GameUserSettings.ini and select Properties.
6. Uncheck Read-only.
7. Select Apply.

Fix fullscreen crashes or freezing (NVIDIA)

1. Right-click your desktop and open NVIDIA Control Panel.
2. Select Adjust desktop size and position.
3. Select your display.
4. Under Scaling mode, choose Full-screen.
5. Set Perform scaling on to GPU.

Check for overheating

If the game runs normally at first but starts showing graphical issues after extended play, your PC may be overheating.

• Make sure vents are not blocked.
• Clean dust from fans and airflow areas.
• Use your PC in a well-ventilated space.

If the issue continues after trying all the steps above, please submit a support ticket, and our team will help.