Is Fortnite down? Server downtime schedule and what's new in update 35.10

Daily Mirror

16-05-2025

More Star Wars weapons and characters are set to come to Fortnite soon, but we're going to have to sit through a touch of downtime before they arrive.
Fortnite is set to engage in some more downtime to ensure that the weekly rollouts of new Star Wars content goes uninterrupted.
Fortnite has thrust players into the galaxy far, far away, and though it has tried to make the experience as streamlined and as focussed as possible, it's already a mixed bag for many. The stacked Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 Battle Pass offers a great collection of cosmetics for players to unlock, but the game resting so much on weapons that work with a cooldown system rather than with traditional ammunition has disappointed many players who have been engaged for years.
‌
Either way, change is coming fast, with Epic Games revealing in Fortnite early patch notes that new content waves are coming to the game weekly to celebrate the world of Star Wars with new NPCs, weapons and abilities. It's a great time to be stuck into the game if you're a fan of the huge entertainment franchise, especially as a new, albeit delayed Fortnite update is on its way to help usher in these content boosts.
‌
We do have to get through some Fortnite downtime to see this come to life, so it bears the question – is Fortnite down? Here's what you need to know.
Is Fortnite down?
Fortnite downtime begins at 1am PDT / 4am EDT / 9am BST on Friday, May 16, as confirmed via a new tweet from the @FortniteStatus Twitter account. This time matches previous update downtime timings, including the Chapter 6 Season 3 downtime that preceeded the season launching.
We can expect a downtime of around two and a half hours t o come with the update based on recent downtimes, with matchmaking closing down thirty minutes ahead of time to ensure that players can finish their games first.
The update was supposed to roll out on Thursday, but a hiccup in the ongoing saga to get Fortnite back on the App Store in time for the patch delayed it by a day. The Fortnite Status Twitter account confirmed the delay while Epic boss, Tim Sweeney, has been tweeting about the situation with Apple. It seems Epic isn't holding out for Apple users to join the fray, as the game's account hasn't mentioned any further delays.
What's new in Fortnite update 35.10?
Leakers haven't had the hold on content announcements in Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 in the same way they usually would, because Fortnite has already revealed what we can expect from the incoming updates across the shorter-than-usual season. Epic Games has revealed that the game will be rolling out more weekly content drops throughout the season introducing new NPCs and weapons, all held up by updates that load the game's backend with the content itself.
With that in mind, the update will deliver one content drop, and another the following week. They are as follows:
Friday, May 16 – Chewbacca arrives in the Item Shop and on the map, dishing out the Wookie Bowcaster. The CA-87 Jawa Scatter Blaster will appear in chests, too
Thursday, May 22 – The Mandalorians arrive, offering players the chance to hire a Heavy, Scout, Supply or Medic teammate. The Mandalorian Jetpack will be unvaulted, and the Amban Sniper Rifle and Westar-34 Blaster Pistols will make it to the island too.
There are more updates to come, like the appearance the Star Destroyer as a pilotable boss battle, but they will be introduced in the next update on Thursday, May 29. Until then, though, we've got some Fortnite downtime to wait through so we can get our hands on the Wookie Bowcasters.