Many players have reported they can’t play Fortnite because of a black screen bug. This is what one player’s Reddit post said about that black screen bug, “Hi everyone, my partner’s Fortnite keeps crashing to a black screen for no reason. Never happens in any other games… We can be playing a while before crashing or it will crash at the beginning of the game.” Thus, this black-screen gaming issue can arise when starting Fortnite or playing it. This is how you can fix the Fortnite black screen bug on a Windows PC.
Looking for more Fortnite guides from KeenGamer?
- 6 Ways to Fix the “Game Security Violation Detected” Error for Fortnite and Other Games
- 7 Ways to Fix the Fortnite Stuck-on Connecting Screen Bug on a Windows PC
- 6 Ways to Fix the Fortnite “Checking for Updates” Error on a Windows PC
- 5 Ways to Fix a Fortnite PC Controller Not Working
- 5 Ways to Fix the Fortnite Settings Not Saving on a Windows PC
Delete the GameUserSettings File
Many players confirm erasing the GameUserSettings file can fix the Fortnite black screen bug. Erasing that file resets settings for Fortnite. This is how you can delete the GameUserSetting file.
- Press the Windows logo and R keyboard buttons.
- Enter the %appdata% inside Run’s Open box.
- Next, go to the Local > FortniteGame > Saved > Config > WindowsClient folder from the AppData directory.
- Right-click GameUserSettings and select Delete.
The WindowsClient folder
Some players also say they’ve fixed the Fortnite black screen issue by erasing the Config folder. However, try erasing the GameUserSettings file within the WindowsClient subfolder first. If that doesn’t work for you, deleting the Local > FortniteGame > Config folder could be worth a try.
Set a DirectX 11 Launch Parameter
Setting a DirectX 11 launch parameter is another player-confirmed way to fix the Fortnite black screen bug. Epic Games includes a command line setting that enables players to apply launch settings to Fortnite. You can set a DirectX 11 launch parameter for Fortnite like this.
- Run your Epic Games software.
- Next, click the user profile button to select Settings.
- Click the Fortnite game to expand options.
- Select the checkbox for the Additional Command Line Arguments setting.
- Input d3d11 into the command line text box.
The Additional Command Line Arguments checkbox
Update Your PC’s Graphics Driver
Corrupted or outmoded graphics drivers can also potentially cause black-screen gaming issues to arise. You can address this possible cause by updating the graphics driver on your Windows PC. This guide to updating graphics drivers includes step-by-step instructions for how to apply this potential fix.
The NVIDIA graphics driver download page
Run Epic Games as An Administrator
Running Epic Games Launcher has worked for some players who’ve needed to fix the Fortnite black screen bug. Applying this fix will give the Epic software full system access. The best way to apply this potential fix is to set Epic Games Launcher to always run with administrator rights like this.
- Click the Epic Games desktop shortcut with the right button on your mouse and select Properties > Compatibility.
- Select the checkbox with the Run this program as an administrator label.
The Compatibility tab
- Click on the Apply and OK options to save the settings.
Allow Fortnite Through Windows Defender Firewall
Although not as widely confirmed to work, checking firewall permissions for Fortnite could be worth a try. Add the Fortnite EXE file for the game to the firewall as outlined on this Microsoft support page. Note that the Public/Private checkboxes for Fortnite within Allowed apps also need to be selected.
The allowed list for Windows Defender Firewall
Those potential fixes will usually resolve the Fortnite black screen bug on most players’ PCs. However, they’re not necessarily guaranteed to work for everybody. If this gaming issue persists on your PC, consider sending a support ticket to Fortnite’s help service about that bug by clicking Contact Us on this Epic page.
