Game Error Fortnite

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 PAK Error - PC Fix Guide

📅 Published: 2026-02-05 🔄 Updated: 2026-02-05 👥 Reports: 5 ⚡ Severity: 🟢 Low

🎯 Quick Answer

Delete corrupted PAK files by removing `Global.ucas` and all files below it in the `Fortnite\FortniteGame\Content\Paks` directory, then verify the game installation via the Epic Games Launcher.

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

The Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 PAK Error is a critical game initialization failure occurring on the Windows PC platform via the Epic Games Launcher. This error manifests immediately after the Chapter 6 - Season 3 update and is classified as a common, game-breaking issue that prevents application execution. The error severity is critical, resulting in a mandatory application termination. The primary error message displayed is: "Fortnite has run out of video memory resources and cannot continue. Please ensure your video card has the minimum required memory, try lowering your resolution and/or closing other applications that may be consuming video memory." Subsequent to closing the game, an Unreal Engine crash reporter generates a secondary error citing a failed assertion related to memory allocation or PAK file integrity. The issue persists across clean reinstalls of both the game and the Epic Games Launcher.

SECTION 2: SYMPTOMS

The application terminates at the main menu screen immediately after the Easy Anti-Cheat splash screen disappears and the Fortnite client initializes. The system displays a modal error dialog containing the video memory resource warning. Upon dismissing this dialog and closing the client, the Unreal Engine Crash Reporter activates with the message: "Assertion failed: (Index + 1) < NumChunks [File:...\Runtime\CoreUObject\Public\Serialization\BulkData.h] [Line: 917]". No gameplay is accessible. The Epic Games Launcher automatically queues a verification of the Fortnite game files upon client closure. Graphics card drivers and other system processes remain stable; the crash is isolated to the Unreal Engine executable.

SECTION 3: COMMON CAUSES

Category: Game Bug / Data Corruption Specific technical explanation: Corrupted or improperly patched PAK archive files, specifically the Global.ucas chunk file or its associated .utoc table of contents file within the game's asset archives. This corruption causes the Unreal Engine's serialization system to fail when attempting to stream necessary game assets during initialization, triggering a false out-of-memory assertion. Why this causes the problem: The BulkData system cannot locate or validate the required data chunks, leading to an allocation assertion failure that the engine interprets as an out-of-resources condition. Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Aggressive memory optimization or cleaning software interfering with the game's asset streaming process during the critical load phase. Why this causes the problem: Third-party software may prematurely clear or block memory pages the Unreal Engine has allocated for PAK file mapping, causing the memory validation check to fail. Category: Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: Incorrect or corrupted Epic Games Launcher manifest data leading to an incomplete or mismatched game file download during the Season 3 update process. Why this causes the problem: The launcher's verification routine may incorrectly report integrity due to a faulty manifest, leaving corrupted PAK files in place. Category: Hardware Issue Specific technical explanation: System RAM or VRAM instability, often related to an XMP/DOCP overclock profile, causing silent data corruption during the file download or decompression phase. Why this causes the problem: Unstable memory can corrupt data as it is written to disk, creating PAK files that are valid in size but contain erroneous data that fails checksum validation during streaming. Category: File System Permissions Specific technical explanation: Insufficient write permissions for the FortniteGame\Content\Paks directory, preventing the Epic Games Launcher from correctly updating or repairing archive files. Why this causes the problem: The launcher or game client cannot replace locked or permission-denied files, leaving corrupted data in place even after a verification or reinstall command.

SECTION 4: SOLUTIONS

Solution 1: Repair Corrupted PAK Files

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 5-10 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: None Steps:

Close the Epic Games Launcher completely via the system tray.
Navigate to the Fortnite installation directory. Default path: C:\Program Files\Epic Games\Fortnite\FortniteGame\Content\Paks.
Open the Paks folder.
Sort all files by size in descending order.
Locate the file named Global.ucas.
Select Global.ucas and every file listed below it in the sorted view.
Press Shift + Delete to permanently delete the selected files. Confirm the action.
Restart the Epic Games Launcher.
Click the three dots under Fortnite and select Verify.
Allow the launcher to download the replacement files and launch the game.

Technical Explanation: This procedure forces the Epic Games Launcher to redownload the core game archive chunks. Corrupted data in these specific PAK files is the most frequent cause of the serialization assertion failure. Deleting them bypasses the launcher's potentially faulty incremental patch verification. Verification: The game launches successfully past the initial splash screens and reaches the lobby without displaying the video memory error dialog.

Solution 2: Perform a Clean Game Reinstall with Manifest Reset

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 30-60 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Sufficient bandwidth to re-download Fortnite Steps:

Close the Epic Games Launcher.
Open the Run dialog (Win + R), type %localappdata%, and press Enter.
Navigate to the EpicGamesLauncher folder, then Saved -> webcache.
Delete the entire webcache folder.
Return to %localappdata% and navigate to EpicGamesLauncher -> Saved -> Config\Windows.
Delete the GameUserSettings.ini file.
Uninstall Fortnite via the Windows Control Panel or Settings > Apps.
Navigate to the Epic Games Launcher installation directory (e.g., C:\Program Files (x86)\Epic Games).
Delete any remaining Launcher or Fortnite folders.
Restart your computer.
Reinstall the Epic Games Launcher from the official website, then install Fortnite.

Technical Explanation: This method clears the launcher's download cache and configuration, ensuring a completely fresh manifest is fetched. This eliminates conflicts from outdated or corrupted patch metadata that can cause incomplete repairs. Verification: A fresh installation completes without errors, and the game launches to the lobby on the first attempt.

Solution 3: Disable Memory Optimization and Overclocks

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 10 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Access to BIOS/UEFI or overclocking software Steps:

Restart your computer and enter the BIOS/UEFI setup (typically by pressing Del, F2, or F10 during boot).
Locate memory settings (often under "Ai Tweaker," "Overclocking," or "Advanced").
Disable any XMP, DOCP, or EXPO memory profile. Set memory to run at default JEDEC specifications (e.g., 2133MHz or 2400MHz for DDR4).
Save changes and exit BIOS/UEFI.
Boot into Windows.
Open the Radeon Software (Adrenalin Edition).
Navigate to Performance > Tuning.
Disable any GPU overclock, undervolt, or memory timing presets. Apply a default tuning profile.
Close all third-party "game booster," "memory cleaner," or "RGB control" software before launching Fortnite.

Technical Explanation: Unstable memory, even if passing other stability tests, can corrupt data during file writes or during the game's asset decompression phase. Running components at factory defaults eliminates this variable. Verification: System stability is confirmed. After reapplying Solution 1, the game launches successfully, indicating the corruption occurred during the initial download under unstable conditions.

Solution 4: Run Epic Games Launcher with Administrative Privileges

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 2 minutes Success Rate: Low-Medium Prerequisites: Administrator account Steps:

Close the Epic Games Launcher.
Locate the Epic Games Launcher shortcut.
Right-click the shortcut and select Properties.
Navigate to the Compatibility tab.
Check the box labeled Run this program as an administrator.
Click Apply and OK.
Launch the Epic Games Launcher from this modified shortcut. Accept the User Account Control prompt.
Verify the Fortnite game files (Click the three dots under Fortnite > Verify).

Technical Explanation: This grants the launcher elevated file system permissions, allowing it to overwrite any locked or permission-protected PAK files that were previously inaccessible during standard repair operations. Verification: The verification process completes without permission errors, and the subsequently downloaded PAK files allow the game to launch.

Solution 5: Manual DNS Flush and Network Stack Reset

Difficulty: Advanced Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: Low Prerequisites: Administrator account, Command Prompt access Steps:

Close the Epic Games Launcher.
Press Win + X and select Windows Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin).
Execute the following commands in sequence, pressing Enter after each:

ipconfig /release ipconfig /flushdns ipconfig /renew netsh winsock reset netsh int ip reset

Restart your computer after the commands complete.
Upon reboot, open the Epic Games Launcher and verify the Fortnite game files.

Technical Explanation: A corrupted DNS cache or Winsock catalog can cause the Epic Games Launcher to fetch update manifests from a stale or incorrect CDN endpoint, leading to mismatched or corrupted file downloads. This resets the network stack to its default state. Verification: The launcher's download process initiates correctly, and the file verification/re-download operates without network-related interruptions.

SECTION 5: PREVENTION

Maintain file system integrity by allowing the Epic Games Launcher to close completely after updates before launching the game. Schedule regular verification of game files following major seasonal updates. Ensure system stability by testing memory with utilities like memtest86 before applying overclock profiles. Configure Windows to exclude the FortniteGame installation directory from real-time scanning by antivirus software. Monitor the Epic Games Launcher download process to completion without interrupting it or putting the system to sleep, as this can corrupt large PAK files during write operations.

SECTION 6: WHEN TO CONTACT SUPPORT

Contact Epic Games Support if all documented solutions fail and the error persists across multiple clean installations on a stable hardware configuration. Provide the full FortniteGame.log file located in %localappdata%\FortniteGame\Saved\Logs and the Launch.log from %localappdata%\EpicGamesLauncher\Saved\Logs. Include the diagnostic report from the Unreal Engine Crash Reporter. Submit your DxDiag report and a detailed list of steps already attempted. Official support channels are accessible via the Epic Games Help Center website.