Unknown Error Fortnite

LOGIN TIMED OUT Error - Fortnite Fix Guide

📅 Published: 2026-02-03 🔄 Updated: 2026-02-03 👥 Reports: 11 ⚡ Severity: 🟢 Low

🎯 Quick Answer

The primary fix for the LOGIN TIMED OUT error involves clearing the Epic Games Launcher's web cache and resetting your network configuration via specific command-line utilities.

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

The LOGIN TIMED OUT error in Fortnite is a persistent authentication failure that prevents the game client from establishing a stable connection to Epic Games' login servers. This error typically manifests during the initial launch sequence, after the anti-cheat (Easy Anti-Cheat) loads but before reaching the lobby. It affects the PC version of Fortnite across all recent builds and is considered a high-severity issue as it completely blocks game access. The error is characterized by a specific on-screen message: "Login Timed Out. Please check your network connection and try again." While the message suggests a simple network fault, the root cause is often a conflict between the Epic Games Launcher's cached credentials, local network configuration, or system-level software.

SECTION 2: SYMPTOMS

The application launches and the Easy Anti-Cheat splash screen loads normally. Upon reaching the initial login phase, the game window displays the "LOGIN TIMED OUT" error message over a static background. The application does not crash; it remains open on this error screen indefinitely with no option to proceed. In some cases, the game may successfully launch once after a fresh install but will consistently reproduce the error on all subsequent launch attempts. The error occurs before any gameplay loads, specifically during the handshake between the local client and Epic's account services.

SECTION 3: COMMON CAUSES

Corrupted Epic Games Launcher Web Cache: The launcher uses a built-in web framework to handle authentication. Corrupted cache data in the webcache folder causes credential handshake failures.
DNS Cache or TCP/IP Stack Corruption: Local network configuration on the Windows system contains stale or incorrect entries, disrupting the route to Epic's servers.
Aggressive Firewall or Antivirus Interference: Security software, particularly suites with deep packet inspection or "gaming mode" features, can incorrectly block the secure connection to *.epicgames.com.
Outdated or Faulty Network Driver: Network interface controller (NIC) drivers, especially for Wi-Fi adapters, can introduce latency and timeout errors during secure connections.
Incorrect System Date/Time: A significant discrepancy between the local system time and network time protocol (NTP) servers can invalidate security certificates, causing an immediate timeout.
Conflicting VPN or Proxy Software: Residual network routing rules from VPN clients or explicit proxy settings in Windows can redirect or block the necessary outbound connections.
Damaged Easy Anti-Cheat Installation: The anti-cheat module, which loads before login, may have corrupted files that disrupt the initial connection sequence.

SECTION 4: SOLUTIONS

Solutions are ordered from highest to lowest probability of resolving the LOGIN TIMED OUT error based on diagnostic patterns.

Solution 1: Clear Epic Games Launcher Cache and Reset Network

Difficulty: Easy Time: 10 minutes Success Rate: High Steps:

Close the Epic Games Launcher completely via the System Tray (right-click the icon and select Exit).
Press Windows Key + R, type %localappdata%, and press Enter. This opens the Local AppData folder.
Locate and open the EpicGamesLauncher folder. Navigate to Saved > webcache.
Select all files and folders within the webcache directory and delete them.
Open Windows Command Prompt as Administrator. Search for "cmd", right-click "Command Prompt," and select "Run as administrator."
Execute the following commands in order, pressing Enter after each:

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

Restart your computer. Upon reboot, launch the Epic Games Launcher directly as an administrator (right-click, "Run as administrator") and attempt to launch Fortnite.

Why it works: This clears the locally stored, potentially corrupted authentication data from the launcher's browser component and resets the Windows network stack to its default state, removing any corrupted configurations causing timeouts.

Solution 2: Disable IPv6 and Configure DNS Manually

Difficulty: Medium Time: 5 minutes Success Rate: High Steps:

Press Windows Key + R, type ncpa.cpl, and press Enter to open Network Connections.
Right-click your active network adapter (Ethernet or Wi-Fi) and select Properties.
In the list, uncheck the box next to "Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)."
Select "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)" and click Properties.
Select "Use the following DNS server addresses."
Enter 8.8.8.8 for the Preferred DNS server and 8.8.4.4 for the Alternate DNS server (Google's public DNS).
Click OK, then OK again. Launch the Epic Games Launcher and attempt to start Fortnite.

Why it works: Some network hardware and ISP configurations handle IPv6 poorly, forcing a timeout during fallback. Using a reliable public DNS bypasses potential ISP-level DNS resolution problems with Epic's domains.

Solution 3: Create Firewall Allow Rules for Fortnite

Difficulty: Medium Time: 7 minutes Success Rate: Medium Steps:

Press Windows Key, type "Windows Security," and open the app. Go to Firewall & network protection.
Click "Allow an app through firewall."
Click "Change settings," then "Browse."
Navigate to the Fortnite installation directory (default: C:\Program Files\Epic Games\Fortnite\FortniteGame\Binaries\Win64).
Select FortniteClient-Win64-Shipping.exe and click Open.
Ensure both Private and Public network checkboxes are ticked in the list. Click OK.
Repeat steps 3-6, but this time browse to the Epic Games Launcher executable (default: C:\Program Files (x86)\Epic Games\Launcher\Portal\Binaries\Win64\EpicGamesLauncher.exe).

Why it works: This creates explicit inbound and outbound rules in the Windows Defender Firewall, ensuring no legitimate traffic from the game or launcher is blocked, even if a previous rule was corrupted.

Solution 4: Repair Easy Anti-Cheat

Difficulty: Easy Time: 5 minutes Success Rate: Medium Steps:

Navigate to the Fortnite Easy Anti-Cheat folder: C:\Program Files\Epic Games\Fortnite\FortniteGame\Binaries\Win64\EasyAntiCheat.
Locate and run EasyAntiCheat_Setup.exe as an administrator.
In the setup window, ensure "Fortnite" is selected in the dropdown menu.
Click the "Repair Service" button. Wait for the process to complete.
Close the setup window and attempt to launch Fortnite.

Why it works: This reinstalls or repairs the critical Easy Anti-Cheat service files. If these files were damaged, they could terminate the connection process before login completes.

Solution 5: Perform a Clean Boot and Test

Difficulty: Medium Time: 15 minutes Success Rate: Medium for Diagnosis Steps:

Press Windows Key + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
In the System Configuration window, go to the Services tab.
Check the box "Hide all Microsoft services," then click "Disable all."
Go to the Startup tab and click "Open Task Manager."
In Task Manager, disable every startup item (right-click each and select Disable).
Close Task Manager, click OK in System Configuration, and restart your PC.
After booting into a clean environment, launch only the Epic Games Launcher and attempt to start Fortnite. If it works, a third-party service or startup item is the cause.

Why it works: This eliminates all non-Microsoft software conflicts. If the error is resolved, you can systematically re-enable services/startup items to identify the specific conflict.

Solution 6: Update Network Adapter Driver Manually

Difficulty: Hard Time: 10 minutes Success Rate: Low-Medium Steps:

Press Windows Key + X and select Device Manager.
Expand the "Network adapters" section.
Right-click your primary network adapter and select "Uninstall device." Check the box that says "Attempt to remove the driver for this device" and click Uninstall.
Restart your computer. Windows will install a default driver upon reboot.
Visit your motherboard or laptop manufacturer's website (or Intel/Realtek for the component directly) to download the latest, manufacturer-provided network driver. Install it and restart again.

Why it works: A clean driver installation removes any corrupted driver files or settings that generic Windows Update drivers may not fix, ensuring optimal network stack performance.

SECTION 5: PREVENTION

To prevent recurrence of the LOGIN TIMED OUT error, maintain a regular system maintenance schedule. Update network adapter and chipset drivers quarterly from the hardware manufacturer's website, not solely through Windows Update. After any major game or launcher update, clear the Epic Games Launcher web cache (%localappdata%\EpicGamesLauncher\Saved\webcache). Configure your firewall with permanent allow rules for both FortniteClient-Win64-Shipping.exe and EpicGamesLauncher.exe. Avoid using system "cleaner" utilities that aggressively modify registry or network settings, as these are a common source of instability.

SECTION 6: SUPPORT ESCALATION

Contact Epic Games Support if all above solutions fail and you have confirmed the issue persists across multiple networks (e.g., a different ISP via a mobile hotspot). Before contacting support, gather the following diagnostic information: the exact output from running ipconfig /all in Command Prompt, the Epic Games Launcher logs located in %localappdata%\EpicGamesLauncher\Saved\Logs, and a screenshot of the error screen. Provide your public IP address (from a site like whatismyip.com) and a traceroute result to epicgames.com (run tracert epicgames.com in Command Prompt). This data is required for advanced server-side diagnostics.