Fortnite downtime delayed, Creative mode to be playable after The Big Bang live event

Epic Games has confirmed that the downtime for Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1 (v28.00) will be delayed by a considerable amount of time. This means that Fortnite Creative will be playable during and after The Big Bang live event. As per official information, 'experiences' alongside UEFN and the Creative Toolset will be available until 11:30 pm Eastern Time.

Since The Big Bang live event kicks off at 2 pm Eastern Time, there will be a nine-hour delay before downtime begins. This breaks the norm in every way, as servers are usually taken offline the moment the live event or the season ends. It appears Epic Games will be taking their time before shutting down servers and pushing the update v28.00.

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Why is Epic Games delaying the Fortnite downtime for Chapter 5 Season 1 (v28.00)?

While Epic Games has not provided a reason, it could have to do with the upcoming game modes associated with LEGO and Rocket League. While the former has confirmed a collaboration, the latter, owned by Epic Games, is yet to reveal its grand plans.

Nevertheless, based on leakers, it seems the Rocket League theme mode would be called "Rocket Racing."

Leakers and data miners have also found many encrypted files related to LEGO that would be showcased during The Big Bang. There are a few files associated with "Rocket Racing'' as well, but most are encrypted.

That said, with downtime being delayed and Creative being kept online, it could be possible that these new modes will be available for players to try out. For the time being, this is the most logical reason based on the information provided.

If nothing else, players will be able to keep playing Creative until the servers are taken offline. They can pass their time playing Only Up and Atlas OG Fortnite.

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How long could the Fortnite downtime for Chapter 5 Season 1 (v28.00) last?

In most instances, the downtime between the end of one Chapter and the start of another usually lasts for around 10 hours or slightly longer. However, there are many factors to consider this time around.

If Epic Games is indeed adding multiple new game modes, it could take a while for things to be thoroughly checked and implemented.

That said, since the downtime will officially start at 11:30 pm Eastern Time, the majority of the playerbase could be asleep. As such, they would not be missing out on much.

By the time the servers are brought online, they should be up just in time to jump into a new phase of the storyline. Being a Sunday morning, it would be the perfect time to hot-drop into Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1.

On that note, players could expect to see another waiting in queue screen when the servers are brought online following the downtime. Depending on the concurrent player count, it could last a while, but everything should smoothen out soon enough.