Game Error Fortnite

Auto-Equip on Pickup - Fortnite Fix Guide

📅 Published: 2026-02-05 🔄 Updated: 2026-02-05 👥 Reports: 4 ⚡ Severity: 🟢 Low

🎯 Quick Answer

Disable the "Auto Pick Up Weapons" setting in the Game tab of Fortnite's settings menu to stop items from equipping automatically when picked up.

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

The error is an unintended automatic weapon swap behavior in Fortnite. The system automatically equips a newly acquired weapon or item while the player's harvesting tool is the active slot. This occurs across all supported platforms: Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and Android. The behavior manifests in the live game environment across multiple updates. Frequency classification is common following specific game patches. Severity impact is a minor gameplay disruption that can interfere with inventory management strategy. No specific error codes are generated; the issue is a logic error in the item acquisition routine.

SECTION 2: SYMPTOMS

The game client executes an equip command immediately upon item acquisition during gameplay. This occurs specifically when the player character interacts with a world item while the harvesting tool is the currently active slot. The observable result is an immediate, automatic switch from the harvesting tool to the newly acquired item in the player's hands. The inventory HUD updates to reflect the new active slot. No error messages or UI warnings accompany this behavior. The action bypasses standard player input for weapon swapping.

SECTION 3: COMMON CAUSES

Category: Configuration Error

Specific technical explanation: The "Auto Pick Up Weapons" game setting is enabled. This setting's logic is designed to streamline looting but conflicts with user preference when a harvesting tool is equipped. Why this causes the problem: The setting's conditional check triggers an equip action on any successful weapon pickup, regardless of the currently active item.

Category: Game Bug

Specific technical explanation: A corrupted or improperly applied game patch modifies the default state of the auto-equip setting or its underlying logic. Why this causes the problem: The game's configuration files may retain a correct setting, but the runtime code executes the opposite behavior due to a patch error.

Category: Configuration Error

Specific technical explanation: A corrupted GameUserSettings.ini file contains invalid or conflicting parameters for the auto-equip function. Why this causes the problem: The game engine reads malformed data from the configuration file, leading to undefined behavior for the auto-pickup routine.

Category: Software Conflict

Specific technical explanation: Third-party peripheral software (e.g., Logitech G Hub, Razer Synapse, Steam Input) applies a custom profile or macro that injects an unintended "swap weapon" input on pickup. Why this causes the problem: The input stack receives an extra equip command from an external source immediately after the game's own pickup event.

Category: Game Bug

Specific technical explanation: A latent bug in the game's input handling system causes the "interact" input (E key or controller button) to be registered as a "confirm equip" input in the same frame. Why this causes the problem: The input buffer processes a single press as two distinct actions: pickup and equip.

SECTION 4: SOLUTIONS

Solution 1: Disable Auto Pick Up Weapons Setting

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 2 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: None Steps:

Launch Fortnite and enter the main lobby.
Open the main menu and navigate to the Settings gear icon.
Select the Game tab from the settings menu sidebar.
Locate the Auto Pick Up Weapons option under the "Looting" subsection.
Toggle the Auto Pick Up Weapons setting to OFF.
Exit the settings menu. The change applies immediately.

Technical Explanation: This directly modifies the Boolean parameter controlling the auto-equip function in the game's runtime configuration, preventing the automatic equip command from triggering on item acquisition. Verification: Enter a match, approach a weapon while your harvesting tool is equipped, and pick it up. The weapon should now appear in your inventory without automatically equipping.

Solution 2: Reset Game Configuration Files

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Game client must be fully closed. Steps:

Close the Fortnite client completely.
Press Windows Key + R, type %localappdata%, and press Enter.
Navigate to the FortniteGame folder, then Saved, then Config.
Locate the WindowsClient folder (or PS5, XboxOne, etc., for consoles; on PC, use WindowsClient).
Rename the GameUserSettings.ini file to GameUserSettings.ini.old.
Relaunch Fortnite. The game generates a new, default configuration file.

Technical Explanation: Corrupted or misaligned settings in the INI file are bypassed. The game engine creates a fresh configuration with all default values, including Auto Pick Up Weapons set to OFF. Verification: After relaunch, re-verify the "Auto Pick Up Weapons" setting is OFF, then test in a match. The fresh configuration eliminates file-level corruption.

Solution 3: Verify Game Files (PC)

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 10-15 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Epic Games Launcher installed. Steps:

Open the Epic Games Launcher.
Navigate to your Library and locate Fortnite.
Click the three dots (...) under the Fortnite tile.
Select Manage from the dropdown menu.
Click the Verify button. The launcher scans and repairs any corrupted or missing game files.
Allow the process to complete, then restart the launcher and game.

Technical Explanation: The verification tool compares local game file checksums against the official Epic Games server manifest. It replaces any files that do not match, fixing corruption introduced by patches or disk errors. Verification: The launcher displays a "Verification Complete" message. Test the auto-equip behavior in-game after the process finishes.

Solution 4: Disable Peripheral Software Macros

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Knowledge of installed peripheral software. Steps:

Identify and open your peripheral management software (e.g., Razer Synapse, Logitech G Hub, Corsair iCUE).
Locate the profile or configuration active for Fortnite.
Review all assigned macros, keybinds, or "actions" for the E key (Interact) or your controller's interact button.
Remove any macro that chains multiple actions or includes a secondary keypress.
Ensure no profile has a "rapid fire" or "toggle" function applied to the interact command.
Save the profile and close the software. Test Fortnite without the software running if possible.

Technical Explanation: This eliminates external input injection that could be sending an unintended secondary "equip" command in the same frame as the game's registered "interact" command. Verification: Test item pickup in Fortnite with the peripheral software configured neutrally or completely closed.

Solution 5: Perform a Clean Boot (Windows)

Difficulty: Advanced Time Required: 15 minutes Success Rate: Low Prerequisites: Administrator access to Windows. Steps:

Press Windows Key + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
In the System Configuration window, go to the Services tab.
Check Hide all Microsoft services, then click Disable all.
Navigate to the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager.
In Task Manager, disable every startup item.
Close Task Manager, click OK in System Configuration, and restart your PC.
Launch only Fortnite and test the auto-equip behavior.

Technical Explanation: This diagnostic step loads Windows with minimal third-party services and applications, isolating potential software conflicts that may be hooking into game inputs or memory. Verification: If the issue is resolved in a clean boot state, a third-party service is the cause. Re-enable services in groups to identify the conflict.

SECTION 5: PREVENTION

Regularly verify game file integrity after major updates using the Epic Games Launcher's Verify function. Maintain a backup of a known-good GameUserSettings.ini file. Audit peripheral software profiles following game patches to ensure macro configurations remain compatible. Adhere to a schedule of checking for graphics driver and game client updates, as patches often include fixes for input handling. Monitor official Epic Games patch notes for mentions of "auto-equip" or "input" fixes.

SECTION 6: WHEN TO CONTACT SUPPORT

Contact Epic Games Support if all solutions fail and the behavior persists across a fresh game install on multiple matches. Provide the specific platform, game version number, and a detailed sequence of actions that reproduce the issue. Include the location of log files (typically in %localappdata%\FortniteGame\Saved\Logs). Official support channels are accessible via the Epic Games Help Center at epicgames.com/help.