When can you play the new Fortnite Season? Chapter 5 Season 2 server maintenance update announced by developers

When can you play the new Fortnite Season? Based on the official announcement made by Epic Games a few minutes ago, you should be able to play the game in a minimum of eight hours from now. This is due to the fact that Fortnite downtime today (March 8, 2024) is still active. The cause behind this is an unexpected issue that occurred during maintenance. This is what they had to say:

"Hey everyone, we encountered an unexpected issue during maintenance and we need to extend downtime by at least 8 additional hours."

Epic Games is currently addressing the issue and will resolve it, but that will take time. As such, the developers have mentioned that Fortnite downtime today (March 8, 2024) could take longer than eight hours. This is the minimum time frame that has been officially announced and is subject to change based on circumstances.

Note: The article will be updated when Epic Games provides an update on the situation.

---

When could the Fortnite servers come online?

Given these facts, there is no sure way of knowing when you can play the new Fortnite Season. It could be after midday in the Eastern Time Zone or toward early evening when the Item Shop rotates. It all depends on how fast Epic Games can address the issue. They put out a statement apologizing to fans. It reads:

"We apologize for making everyone wait longer than usual to drop into Chapter 5 Season 2 of Battle Royale. The team is working through this as quickly as possible, and we’ll provide another update when we have more info."

Considering that the Fortnite downtime has already been extended by eight hours minimum, it would seem that there is a major issue at hand. While the particular details have not been mentioned, this could be related to certain upcoming mechanics such as flying or perhaps Medallions.