How to Fix Black Screen on Fortnite

Can’t figure out why you’re seeing a black screen on Fortnite?

Fortnite is an online battle royale game launched in 2017. With over 200 million users worldwide, it has become a staple in the gaming community and Esports scene. 

One of the key selling points of Fortnite is that the game is easy to run on any hardware. This means that you don’t have to invest in a thousand-dollar gaming rig to enjoy casual Fortnite with your friends.

While Fortnite is optimized on entry-level machines, it doesn’t mean that you won’t run into issues when running the game. 

One of the most common problems on Fortnite is the black screen issue. When this occurs, you’ll just see an empty black screen when you launch the game. This prevents you from joining any match or even accessing the main menu to tweak your settings. 

If you’re suffering from this error, keep reading. 

Today, we’ll show you what to do if you keep seeing a black screen on Fortnite. 

Let’s dive right in!

1. Check Your System Specifications. 

Before changing your configurations, we suggest that you review your hardware first and see if it meets the minimum system requirement of Fortnite. 

Here’s what you need to run the game without issues: 

  • Video Card: Intel HD 4000 / Intel Iris Pro 5200
  • Processor: Core i3-3225 3.3 GHz
  • Memory: 4GB RAM
  • OS: Windows 7/8/10 64-bit or Mac OS Mojave

If your system doesn’t meet the requirements, consider upgrading your hardware first. 

2. Run Fortnite in Compatibility Mode. 

If you’re using an older version of Windows, try running Fortnite in compatibility mode to address the black screen issues. 

See the steps below to guide you through the process: 

  1. First, locate Fortnite on your desktop. 
  2. After that, right-click on the game and choose Properties
  3. Now, go to the Compatibility tab. 
  4. Lastly, enable the ‘Run this Program in Compatibility Mode’ and choose your operating system from the drop-down menu. 
black screen on Fortnite

Once done, relaunch the game and check if the black screen issue on Fortnite is solved. 

3. Update Your Drivers. 

One of the most common reasons you see a black screen on Fortnite is if your graphics card is not working correctly. To fix this, update your graphics drivers to patch potential bugs and glitches. 

Follow the guide below to update your graphics drivers: 

  1. On your keyboard, press the Windows + X keys to open the Quick Menu.
  2. Next, click on Device Manager and look for the Display Adapters tab. 
  3. Finally, right-click on your video card and choose Update Driver
black screen on Fortnite

After updating your driver, restart your system to apply the changes. Go back to Fortnite afterward to check if the problem is solved. 

4. Update Windows. 

Another way to fix the black screen on Fortnite is to update your operating system. The current version of Windows you’re using might have an underlying issue that causes your apps and games to malfunction. 

Here’s how you can update Windows: 

  1. First, open Windows Settings by pressing the Windows + I keys on your keyboard. 
  2. After that, go to the Update & Security tab. 
  3. Lastly, open the Windows Update tab and click on Check for Updates
Windows Update

Once done, restart your system and see if you still encounter black screen issues on Fortnite. 

5. Disable Fullscreen Optimizations. 

If you still encounter a black screen on Fortnite, we suggest disabling fullscreen optimizations on Windows. This should give Fortnite total control of your system’s performance. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

  1. On your desktop, right-click on Fortnite and choose Properties
  2. Next, go to the Compatibility tab. 
  3. Finally, ensure that the ‘Disable Fullscreen Optimizations’ option is marked checked. 
Disable Fullscreen Optimizations

Relaunch Fortnite afterward to check if the problem is solved. 

6. Verify Your Game Files. 

Some of Fortnite’s files on your system may have gotten corrupted, which causes issues when you launch the game. To fix this, use Epic Games’ built-in tool to check your game files. 

You can follow the steps below to guide you through the process: 

  1. Open the Epic Games launcher on your Windows PC
  2. After that, open your Library
  3. Finally, right-click on Fortnite and choose Verify
black screen on Fortnite

Once done, wait for the scan to complete and relaunch the game. 

7. Reinstall Fortnite. 

If you still encounter black screen issues on Fortnite, we recommend reinstalling the game on your computer. This should eliminate corrupted files from your system and ensure that you’re using the game’s latest working version. 

Refer to the guide below to remove Fortnite from your system: 

  1. First, open the Epic Games launcher. 
  2. Next, access the Library tab and right-click on Fortnite
  3. Lastly, choose the Uninstall option to delete the game. 
black screen on Fortnite

Go to the Epic Games Store afterward and reinstall Fortnite from there. 

8. Contact Epic Games. 

At this point, the last thing you can do is ask Epic Games for help. 

Go to Epic Games’ Help Center and contact their customer support to report the issue. Provide all the necessary details on your report, including your system specifications and account information, to make it easier for Epic Games to assess the situation. 

black screen on Fortnite

You can also browse the other guides on their page and see if you can find alternative solutions. 

That brings us to the end of our guide for fixing black screen issues on Fortnite. If you have questions or any other concerns, please let us know in the comment section, and we’ll do our best to answer them. 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂 

Author

  • John Sixto

    John is a staff writer at Saint and comes from a SAP ABAP development background. He has a Bachelors in IT and has been writing since 2018, with over 500 posts published. He loves to build PCs and has a deep curiosity in understanding how different components and configurations work. John spends hundreds of hours at a time, researching and testing the software and apps, before he proceeds to write about it. LinkedIn X (Twitter)

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