Fortnite fans are counting down to the release of update 40.20, which is coming to PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2 and Android. The next major Fortnite update has an April 16 release date, and will be accompanied by a period of server downtime. According to Epic Games, server maintenance kicks off at 9am BST in the UK, while matchmaking will be disabled at around 8.30am BST.

The news was announced by Epic Games on X, alongside a preview about what to expect.

“Showdown Act II begins. Save the World goes free-to-play,” reads an Epic tweet.

“Downtime for v40.20 begins at 4 AM ET (8 AM UTC) with matchmaking ending shortly beforehand.”

According to the Fortnite server status page, the downtime will last for a couple of hours, which means the game will be back online at 11am BST in the UK.

Needless to say, you’ll need to download and install the update in order to sample the new content.

And there’s plenty of content coming as part of update 40.20, including the release of Save the World as a free-to-play experience.

The free-to-play Save the World game features a combination of solo and co-op play with PvE gameplay.

Players must build defences to survive, all the while rescuing survivors and experiencing an “epic story”.

The game features more than 150 weapons and heroes, as well as a variety of character classes, including Soldier, Ninja, Outlander and Construction.

That’s on top of the release of Act 2 of Showdown, which features new Milestones and unlockables, including a new Infinity Blade.

Elsewhere, GRAMMY award-winner Laufey will join Fortnite Festival as the Season 14 Icon, complete with a skin, new tunes and lots more.

New crossover skins include WWE Superstars Stone Cold Steve Austin and Liv Morgan, which launch just in time for Wrestlemania.

The update also includes a variety of bug fixes and gameplay tweaks, which can be seen in the early patch notes below.

Fortnite update 40.20 early patch notes…

GENERAL

• Incorrect “Rewards to Claim” notification in the Bonus rewards section of the Battle Pass

– We’re investigating an issue where a “Rewards to Claim” notification appears in the top-right corner in the Bonus section of the Battle Pass. This is a visual issue only—players can still claim any rewards they’ve unlocked while leveling up.

• Some group Emotes cannot be joined.

– Players may not be able to join other players’ group Emotes (e.g. Shock Grip, Death Rockers).

• Visual issues affecting certain Outfits on Performance Mode or lower-end devices.

– A few visual and animation issues are currently affecting the following Outfits or Back Blings:

– The ‘Shade’ Style of Ascendant Midas’ Golden King’s Cape may appear with missing textures.

– Malik and Ramses may experience visual glitches while emoting, previewing the Outfits in the Locker/Lobby or during gameplay.

• Visual Issue With Lightyear Wings Back Bling

– We’re aware of a visual issue where the Lightyear Wings Back Bling jetpack may not appear correctly on certain outfits.

• [Nintendo Switch 1] Tournaments temporarily disabled on Nintendo Switch 1 while we fix a crash bug.

• Chaos Reloader Shotgun issues with reloading and firing.

– The Chaos Reloader Shotgun may not reload when unequipped.

• Unable to switch weapons after using a Pirate Cannon.

– Players may lose the ability to manage their inventory after interacting with a Pirate Cannon.

• Item icons may appear stretched on Vending Machines.

– When standing in front of a Vending Machine, featured item icons may appear stretched. This is visual-only; you can still make purchases without issues.

• The progress circle animation does not appear around the “Vote” button when using a controller.

– When using a controller, the white progress circle animation around the “Vote” button on the Mission Vote notification does not appear.

• Visual issue on Google Pixel 10 devices.

– Some players may be experiencing visual glitches on Google Pixel 10 devices. We are working on implementing a fix in a future game update.