Many Windows PC players have reported Fortnite freezes when playing. One such player said this about that gaming issue, “Since yesterday, whenever I start up a game, there is no problem for the first 5-10 minutes, but suddenly, my whole pc freezes, then restarts. Note: This happens in every match/mode.” This kind of in-game freezing can make Fortnite unplayable. This is how you can fix Fortnite freezing on Windows 11/10 PCs.
Set a DirectX 11 Launch Option
Setting a DirectX 11 launch option for Fortnite can make the game more stable on older PCs. So, that might be worth trying to fix Fortnite freezing if your PC isn’t well optimized for DirectX 12. These are the steps for setting a DirectX 11 API for Fortnite via Epic Games:
- Double-click your Epic Games shortcut to start that software.
- Click Library to view your Epic games.
- Right-click the Fortnite game on the left sidebar to select Manage.
- Turn on the Launch Options settings switch.
- Enter -d3d11 within the Launch Options text box for the game.
The Verify option
Select Window Fullscreen Mode
A few players say they’ve fixed Fortnite Freezing by selecting the Windowed Fullscreen mode option in the game. That’s a more reliable display option for switching between apps. This is how you can select the Windowed Fullscreen option:
- Start Epic Games and Fortnite from there.
- Click the profile and gear buttons.
- Change the Window Mode option to Windowed Fullscreen on the Display tab.
The Window Mode setting
- Setting the V-Sync option to off is also recommended.
- Click Apply to save your Fortnite settings.
Set High Priority for Fortnite
Task Manager includes priority options you can select for processes. Setting a higher priority for Fortnite will increase CPU time allocated to the game. You can set a high priority for Fortnite like this:
- Start the Fortnite game.
- Press Task Manager’s Ctrl + Shift + Esc key combination to access that utility.
- Click Details to view that tab.
- Right-click the FortniteClient-Win64-Shipping.exe process to select Set priority > High.
The High priority option
- This option resets after playing the game. Thus, you’ll need to go through the steps above every time you play Fortnite to apply a higher priority for the game.
Disable (or Uninstall) Discord
Players have confirmed that disabling Discord can fix Fortnite freezing. Is Discord installed on your PC? If so, try closing that app before running Fortnite like this:
- Go into the Task Manager by right-clicking the taskbar and selecting that utility’s shortcut.
- Next, look for Discord on the Processes tab.
- Right-click the Discord process to select the End task option for it.
The End task option
Select a High Performance Graphics Mode
Windows has High and Power saving graphics mode options you can configure for games. In this case, setting a high-performance option is recommended for fixing Fortnite freezing. Go through these steps to apply this possible fix:
- Right-click Start to select a Search shortcut.
- Input the Graphics settings search phrase in the file finder tool.
- Click Graphics settings to access it.
- Press Browse to select the FortniteClient-Win64-Shipping.exe file.
- Click on Add.
- Select Options > High performance for the Fortnite game.
The High performance radio button
- Click Save to apply.
Uninstall Vanguard
Uninstalling Vanguard is a fix for Fortnite freezing that players confirm has worked for them. Thus, it seems the Vanguard anti-cheat program for games like Valorant can conflict with Fortnite. You can uninstall Vanguard via Apps & features in Settings, as covered on this Microsoft page.
The Uninstall option in Apps & features
Reinstall the Fortnite Game
If nothing else works for you, try reinstalling the Fortnite game. This troubleshooting method can restore and repair game files. Go through the instructional steps on this Epic Games page to reinstall Fortnite.
The Uninstall option in Epic
Fortnite freezing is a common crashing issue that players have resolved by applying the possible resolutions discussed above. Nothing is guaranteed to work, but those troubleshooting methods are worth trying. You can also ask the Fortnite help service for more potential fixes by clicking Contact us on this Epic page.
