Crash/Freeze Fortnite

Weird Freeze Bug with 0 FPS - Fortnite Fix Guide

📅 Published: 2026-02-05 🔄 Updated: 2026-02-05 👥 Reports: 11 ⚡ Severity: 🟢 Low

🎯 Quick Answer

Clear the corrupted DirectX Shader Cache and verify your Windows build version, as these are the primary technical causes for the sudden 0 FPS freeze in Fortnite.

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

The Weird Freeze Bug is a critical performance failure in Fortnite where the application's rendering pipeline halts, resulting in a sustained 0 FPS state. This is a full engine stall, not a temporary stutter, requiring a forced application termination. The error predominantly affects the Windows PC platform running the Unreal Engine 5 (UE5) build of Fortnite. Analysis indicates this issue manifests with higher frequency following major game engine updates or specific Windows OS updates. The severity is game-breaking, as the freeze is persistent and non-recoverable within the session. No specific error code is presented to the user; the primary observable symptom is a complete halt of video output and input response while audio may continue or loop.

SECTION 2: SYMPTOMS

The application experiences a total graphical pipeline lock during gameplay or menu navigation. The frame rate counter drops to 0 FPS and remains there indefinitely. The game window becomes unresponsive to all input commands, including keyboard, mouse, and controller. In some instances, the last rendered frame remains static on screen, while in others, the display may turn black. Audio output may continue for several seconds before ceasing or entering a looped state. The condition does not self-resolve, necessitating the use of Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) to end the "FortniteClient-Win64-Shipping.exe" process.

SECTION 3: COMMON CAUSES

Category: Software Conflict / Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: A corrupted DirectX Shader Cache following a game or driver update. The cache contains pre-compiled shader data, and corruption forces the GPU to compile shaders in real-time, overwhelming the pipeline and causing a deadlock. Why this causes the problem: The Unreal Engine 5's Nanite and Lumen systems rely heavily on dynamic shader compilation. A corrupted cache disrupts this process, leading to an unrecoverable engine stall. Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Microsoft Windows 11 build 26200.7171 (October 2024 Update) or related builds containing a known compatibility fault with Unreal Engine 5 titles. Why this causes the problem: The OS update introduces a low-level scheduling or memory management conflict that disrupts UE5's rendering thread, resulting in a total freeze. Category: Hardware Issue Specific technical explanation: Unstable GPU core or memory overclock, or an improperly configured low VRAM clock state. Why this causes the problem: An unstable overclock causes silent memory errors during high-load rendering, crashing the driver. An excessively low idle VRAM clock may not ramp up in time, causing a timeout. Category: Game Bug Specific technical explanation: A latent Unreal Engine 5 race condition or memory leak triggered under specific, undisclosed in-game scenarios. Why this causes the problem: The game's code execution hits a pathological state where critical threads deadlock or exhaust allocated memory, freezing the entire process. Category: Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: Outdated, corrupted, or mismatched graphics driver components, particularly the Vulkan or DirectX 12 user-mode layers. Why this causes the problem: The driver fails to properly translate or execute a critical rendering command from the game engine, leading to a GPU hang detection and subsequent freeze. Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Third-party application interference, including overlay software (Discord, Xbox Game Bar), screen recorders, or aggressive RGB controller utilities. Why this causes the problem: These applications hook into the DirectX or Vulkan API, and a hooking conflict can cause a deadlock between the game and the overlay, freezing both.

SECTION 4: SOLUTIONS

Solution 1: Clear DirectX Shader Cache

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

Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog.
Type %localappdata% and press Enter. This opens the C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local directory.
Locate and open the NVIDIA folder (for NVIDIA GPUs), AMD folder (for AMD GPUs), or Intel folder (for Intel GPUs).
Within this folder, find and open the DXCache or GLCache folder.
Select all files (Ctrl+A) and delete them (Shift+Delete to bypass Recycle Bin).
Navigate back to the AppData\Local folder.
Open the FortniteGame folder, then Saved.
Delete the entire D3D11Cache and D3D12Cache folders if present.
Restart the computer and launch Fortnite.

Technical Explanation: This forces the graphics driver and game to rebuild shader caches from scratch, eliminating corruption that causes compilation deadlocks within Unreal Engine 5's rendering pipeline. Verification: The first launch after clearing caches will exhibit stuttering as shaders compile. Subsequent launches should be smooth, and the total freeze event should not recur.

Solution 2: Verify and Address Windows Build Version

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 10 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Internet connection Steps:

Press Windows key + R, type winver, and press Enter.
A window displays the Windows version and OS Build number. Note the build number (e.g., 26200.7171).
If the build number is 26200.7171 or another build from the October 2024 update series, a known compatibility issue exists.
For NVIDIA GPU users: Visit the NVIDIA driver download page and locate the "Windows 11 2024 Update (24H2) Hotfix Driver" or newer. Download and install it.
For AMD/Intel GPU users: Check for Windows Updates manually. Navigate to Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates. Install all available updates, as Microsoft must issue the OS-level fix.
If no updates are available, consider using the Windows Update Assistant to force a check for a newer build.

Technical Explanation: This addresses a confirmed OS-level scheduling bug that conflicts with UE5. The hotfix or subsequent OS update contains the necessary kernel or driver stack correction. Verification: The winver command shows a build number higher than the problematic version (e.g., 26200.8000+). The freeze no longer occurs after applying the update.

Solution 3: Reset GPU to Default Clocks and Adjust Power Settings

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 10 minutes Prerequisites: GPU vendor utility (NVIDIA Control Panel, AMD Adrenalin, Intel Arc Control) Steps:

If using an overclocking tool (MSI Afterburner, EVGA Precision), launch it and reset all clocks (core, memory) to default. Apply and close the tool.
Open the GPU vendor control panel:

* NVIDIA: Right-click desktop > NVIDIA Control Panel. Navigate to Manage 3D Settings > Power management mode. Set to "Prefer maximum performance." * AMD: Open Adrenalin Software. Go to Performance > Tuning. Ensure "Default" or "Auto Overclock" is selected. Go to Settings > Graphics > Advanced. Set "GPU Workload" to "Graphics." * Intel: Open Arc Control. Go to Performance. Ensure no manual overclock is applied.

Additionally, in the Windows Search bar, type "Graphics settings" and open the result.
Find "Fortnite" in the list or browse to C:\Program Files\Epic Games\Fortnite\FortniteGame\Binaries\Win64\FortniteClient-Win64-Shipping.exe and add it.
Set its graphics preference to "High performance."

Technical Explanation: This eliminates instability from manual overclocks and prevents the GPU from entering a low-power state with insufficient VRAM clock speed, which can cause a timeout during sudden UE5 rendering loads. Verification: System stability is maintained under load. Use a monitoring tool like HWiNFO64 to confirm GPU clocks are scaling appropriately during gameplay.

Solution 4: Perform a Clean Graphics Driver Reinstall

Difficulty: Advanced Time Required: 15 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Internet connection, Administrator rights Steps:

Download the latest driver package from NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel's official website.
Download Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) from Guru3D.
Boot Windows into Safe Mode. (Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Advanced startup > Restart now > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart > Press 4).
Run DDU. Select your GPU vendor and choose "Clean and restart."
After the restart, install the previously downloaded driver package. Select "Custom (Advanced)" installation and check "Perform a clean installation."
Restart the system normally.

Technical Explanation: A clean install removes all remnants of previous driver versions, including potentially corrupted runtime libraries (D3D12, Vulkan) and registry entries that can cause API-level conflicts with Fortnite. Verification: Device Manager shows the correct driver version with no warning symbols. The DirectX Diagnostic Tool (dxdiag) reports no errors on the Display tab.

Solution 5: Disable Conflicting Overlays and Background Applications

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: None Steps:

Disable the Epic Games Launcher overlay: Open the Epic Games Launcher > Settings. Scroll to the "Fortnite" section and disable "Enable Overlay."
Disable Discord overlay: Open Discord > User Settings (gear icon) > "Overlay" under App Settings. Toggle "Enable in-game overlay" to off.
Disable Xbox Game Bar: Press Windows key + I to open Settings. Go to Gaming > Xbox Game Bar. Toggle it off.
Disable NVIDIA ShadowPlay/AMD Instant Replay: Open the respective control panel and disable background recording features.
Temporarily close any RGB lighting control software (iCUE, Armoury Crate, SignalRGB) and non-essential applications.

Technical Explanation: This removes potential API hooking conflicts. Overlays inject code into the game's process; a faulty injection can deadlock the rendering thread, causing a full freeze. Verification: Launch Fortnite with all overlays disabled. If the freeze does not occur, re-enable overlays one by one to identify the conflicting software.

Solution 6: Modify Fortnite Graphics Rendering Mode

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: Low Prerequisites: Ability to launch the game once without freezing Steps:

Launch the Epic Games Launcher and start Fortnite.
Navigate to the in-game Settings menu as quickly as possible before a potential freeze.
Go to the Video Settings tab.
Locate the "Rendering Mode" setting.
If set to "DirectX 12," change it to "Performance (Alpha)" or "DirectX 11."
Apply the settings and restart the game as prompted.

Technical Explanation: This bypasses the DirectX 12 rendering path, which is more sensitive to driver and cache corruption, and uses a more stable, albeit less feature-rich, rendering API. Verification: The game launches and runs using the selected alternative rendering mode. Check the settings page to confirm the change persists.

SECTION 5: PREVENTION

Maintain a regular schedule for graphics driver updates, verifying notes for known game compatibility fixes. After every major Fortnite season or engine update, proactively clear the DirectX Shader Cache using the method in Solution 1. Configure Windows Update for automatic downloads but enable active hours to prevent restarts during gameplay. Utilize a system monitoring tool to log GPU clock stability and temperatures during sessions, ensuring hardware operates within specification. Avoid applying aggressive GPU overclocks; any overclock requires validation with multiple stress-testing applications.

SECTION 6: WHEN TO CONTACT SUPPORT

Contact Epic Games Support if all documented solutions fail and the system meets the game's minimum specifications. Provide the full diagnostic report generated by the Epic Games Launcher (Help > Diagnostics) and the latest FortniteGame.log file located in C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\FortniteGame\Saved\Logs. Include the Windows build number from winver and your complete GPU driver version. Official support channels are accessible via the Epic Games Help Center at epicgames.com/help.