Fortinite Countdown to Chapter 6 Season 4 Begins
Epic Games confirmed that the server downtime for Fortnite’s new season, which comes as part of patch v37.00, commenced at 2:00 AM ET on August 7, 2025. The popular battle royale game disabled matchmaking roughly 30 minutes prior, making 1:30 AM ET the last opportunity for players to participate in any matches before the temporary shutdown.
This downtime marks the official start of Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4, aptly dubbed “Shock ‘N Awesome.” The season will introduce a Power Rangers collaboration, a slew of new characters, movement mechanics, and a narrative centered on a mechanical insectoid invasion. Notably, this storyline involves the Kraken, a creature recently hinted at in-game, and a new villain, Daigo, who is believed to have summoned it.
What’s New in Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4?
This season packs an explosive mix of old-school collaborations and futuristic threats. Fans of Halo and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers can expect special appearances and themed cosmetics. The Power Rangers collab had been heavily speculated upon after a Superman-themed live event dramatically altered the game’s geography, wrecking locations like Demon’s Domain and leaving behind a mysterious severed tentacle.
The update promises new Points of Interest (POIs) on the map, a revamped Battle Pass (including standard, LEGO, and OG formats), and various new items and weapons tailored for the season’s theme. Skins based on iconic pop-culture franchises and entirely new character sets are expected to headline this season’s offerings.
What Players Can Expect When Fortnite Servers Return
When Fortnite servers come back online, players will be thrown directly into the bug invasion saga. According to official teases and in-game visuals, the skies are already riddled with rift cracks, and multiple areas of the map have been destabilized in preparation for the season’s arrival.
New gameplay mechanics are expected to emphasize mobility, with leaks suggesting that new movement items could be among the best seen in recent seasons. The Battle Pass is also poised to include superhero-style weapons and movement gear, designed to complement the Power Rangers-themed abilities and suits.
In addition to the in-game narrative, new technical features and quality-of-life improvements are expected to debut with this update. These will likely be rolled out gradually as the patch v37.00 stabilizes in the hours following downtime.
What Epic Says About Fortnite Server Status
Epic Games, through its official Fortnite Status Twitter account, stated that this would be one of the biggest seasonal updates to date. While most regular updates typically take around 3–4 hours of downtime, the studio has hinted that patch v37.00 could take significantly longer due to the volume of changes.
Based on previous update cycles and the scale of this launch, players can expect the Fortnite servers to be back up around 6:00–7:00 AM ET on August 7. That timing, however, remains speculative and depends entirely on how smoothly the update is deployed.
Based on the in-game countdown, the update is expected to go live once scheduled maintenance concludes. Downtime typically lasts around two hours, but this the patch is huge, so the estimated time for Fortnite servers to be back online is as follows:
- United States (East Coast): 6-7 AM ET
- United States (West Coast): 2:30 AM PT
- United Kingdom: 10:30 AM BST
- Central Europe: 11:30 AM CEST
- Australia (Sydney): 7:30 PM AEST
- Japan (Tokyo): 6:30 PM JST
Please note that these times are approximate and may shift depending on server conditions.
Meanwhile, some players were still able to access Battle Pass content from Season 3 in the final moments before downtime, offering a last-minute chance to complete objectives and claim rewards.
Fortnite Known Bugs and Fixes in the New Patch
As part of the early patch notes shared via the Fortnite Community Trello board, Epic Games has highlighted a range of issues that are being addressed in this update. These span multiple Fortnite experiences—Battle Royale, LEGO Fortnite, Rocket Racing, and Save The World. Here’s a breakdown of the confirmed fixes:
General:
- The Edit Style screen in the locker may previously have appeared blank; this has now been resolved.
- Penny’s character model may have displayed incorrectly when equipped with Kicks—also now fixed.
LEGO Fortnite:
- Common through Epic weapons were lacking runes when purchased or dropped.
- Plasma Pistols were missing the Auto Fire button on mobile devices.
Rocket Racing:
- Auto-acceleration option missing for mobile controller users is being restored.
Save the World:
- Limited hero/weapon rotation on the View screen has been fixed, allowing better model inspection in Armory or Command mode.
These fixes come as a response to player feedback and were flagged as “Fixed in Next Game Update” in recent community updates. While they may not be the season’s flashiest features, they lay a stronger foundation for consistent performance across platforms.
Why the Fortnite Excitement Is Real
The narrative of Season 4, combining mythical monsters, robotic bugs, and nostalgic 1990s superhero teams, is expected to attract a wide player base. For long-time Fortnite fans, this return to epic-scale storytelling, similar to past Marvel and Star Wars tie-ins, is a welcome shift.
Players have expressed particular enthusiasm for the creative design of the mechanical bugs and the layered, evolving map elements teased during the live event. The developers’ decision to blend narrative arcs with live-service gameplay continues to set Fortnite apart in the free-to-play space.
FAQs
When did Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4 downtime begin?
The official server downtime for Chapter 6 Season 4 (patch v37.00) began at 2:00 AM ET on August 7, 2025. Matchmaking was disabled at 1:30 AM ET, 30 minutes prior.
What is the theme of Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4?
This season, titled “Shock ‘N Awesome,” centers around a mechanical insectoid invasion, featuring a new villain named Daigo and the rumored appearance of the Kraken. The update also includes a Power Rangers collaboration and futuristic new gameplay mechanics.