Many players have reported Fortnite gets stuck on a connecting screen when they try to play it. This is how one player’s Reddit post describes that issue, “Hi everyone, I’m having an issue with Fortnite getting stuck on the “CONNECTING” screen every time I load into the game or return to the lobby.” That gaming issue can occur when players start Fortnite or click Play in the game. This is how you can fix the Fortnite stuck-on connecting screen bug on Windows PCs.
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Check for Server-Side Issues
First, check if there’s a general server-side issue (or even scheduled maintenance) that could be causing the Fortnite stuck-on-connecting screen bug to occur. To do that, open this Epic status page and click Fortnite. Try waiting a day or two if that page shows some services aren’t operational.
The Epic server status page
Verify the Fortnite Game Files
Corrupted or missing game files may or may not be causing the Fortnite stuck-on-connecting screen bug on your PC. As there’s a possibility there could be corrupted files, run a verification scan for Fortnite. The instructions on this Epic webpage tell you how users can verify games with Fortnite’s gaming client.
The Verify button in Epic
Change Your Matchmaking Region
Some players say they’ve fixed the Fortnite stuck-on connecting screen bug by changing the Matchmaking Region setting. To do that, click the menu button in Fortnite and select Settings and the Game tab. Select a different server with the Matchmaking Region setting on that tab. It’s best to select an alternative server with a lower ping.
The Matchmaking Region setting
Delete the GameUserSettings
Some players confirm deleting the GameUserSettings file can fix the Fortnite stuck-on connecting screen bug. Applying this potential fix resets Fortnite’s settings. This is how you can delete the GameUserSettings file.
- Click File Explorer on the taskbar and navigate to the C:\Users\<user folder name>\AppData\Local\FortniteGame\Saved\Config\WindowsClient folder path.
- Right-click the GameUserSettings file and select delete.
The GameUserSettings file
- Go to the C:\Users\<user folder name>\AppData\Local\FortniteGame\Saved\Config\CrashReportClient folder path in File Explorer.
- Press Ctrl + A to select everything in the CrashReportClient folder.
The CrashReportClient folder
- Click the right mouse button and select Delete to erase everything selected.
- Navigate to the C:\Users\<user folder name>\AppData\Local\FortniteGame\Saved\Logs folder.
The Logs folder
- Select everything in the Logs folder with the Ctrl + A hotkey.
- Click Delete on File Explorer’s command bar or Home tab.
Disable Third-Party Antivirus Software
Players have said they’ve fixed the Fortnite stuck-on connecting bug by disabling third-party antivirus apps on their PCs. Bitdefender is one security app more specifically confirmed to cause this issue. Such apps have antivirus shields and firewall components that can interfere with Fortnite.
Do you have third-party antivirus software on your PC? If you do, try disabling its shield before starting Fortnite. You can usually do that by right-clicking a system tray icon for a security app and selecting a disable antivirus shield option. In addition, turn off your antivirus package’s firewall component if it has one.
Set a DirectX 11 Launch Parameter
DirectX 11 is an alternative API that you can set Fortnite to start with. It has been confirmed by some players that setting DirectX 11 can fix the Fortnite stuck-on connecting bug. You can set a DirectX 11 launch parameter for the game via Epic Games like this.
- Go into your Epic Games software.
- Click the user account button and Settings.
- Next, click Fortnite to expand the settings for that game.
- Select the Additional Command Line Arguments box.
The Additional Command Line Arguments box
- Input -d3d11 inside the text box for that option.
Disable Asset Streaming
Sometimes the Fortnite stuck-on connection error occurs because the game can’t download certain cosmetic assets for players in your lobby. Disabling asset streaming will address this potential cause. You can disable cosmetic asset streaming as instructed on this Epic help page.
Other Possible Ways to Fix the Fortnite Stuck on Connecting Screen Bug
There are more possible ways to fix the Fortnite stuck-on connecting screen bug beyond those covered above. If that issue persists, try applying these extra resolutions for that gaming issue:
- Update the graphical driver for your PC’s GPU.
- Set your PC to clean boot with startup apps and services disabled. This Microsoft page tells you how users can apply the clean-boot troubleshooting method.
- Configure Epic Games to run as an administrator.
- Uninstall Fortnite to reinstall the game.
Those are some of the more widely confirmed ways to fix the Fortnite stuck-on connecting screen bug on Windows PCs. You may need to apply multiple resolutions above to find one that works on your PC. If that issue persists, I recommend sending a support ticket to Fortnite’s help service for more troubleshooting guidance by clicking Contact Us on this Epic page.
