Fortnite downtime today (May 17): When will servers be back up?

The Fortnite update downtime and subsequent update v24.40 will commence at 3 am Eastern Time today (May 17, 2023). Akin to previous updates, the developers are once more starting things off early. While many accredit this to the fact that the update was delayed by a day, that's likely not the case. That being said, given that the update was pushed back, the downtime may last longer than usual today.

With the downtime kicking off at 3 am ET, servers will be taken offline by 2:30 am ET. Those who are still fighting back the Storm in Save The World or fighting tooth and nail in the Battle Royale modes should log off immediately or risk losing out on progression.

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How long will the Fortnite downtime last today (May 17)?

Considering that the Fortnite update v24.40 was delayed by a day, some things seem to be out of place. Granted that Epic Games sticks to their routines time and again, this is not a good sign. That being said, the downtime could last roughly four hours at most. The servers should be online again by 7 am ET.

Given that the new Ranked Mode is being added to the game today, things will take some time. It is set to replace Arena Mode and pave the way forward for a more competitive Battle Royale that's open to everyone. However, with Epic Games deciding to remove Trios while introducing the new Ranked Mode, backlash from the community has been swift to say the least. However, not all changes will be bad.

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Fixes and content changes for Fortnite update v24.40

While the removal of the Trios team-size has not been welcomed with open arms, other changes will be more favorable. As mentioned, the Ranked Mode will change Fortnite forever and inject new competitive spirit in-game. Players will be able to complete Urgent Quests to unlock cosmetic items throughout the remainder of the current season.

If this wasn't already hyped enough, assets pertaining to the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse collaboration should be added in today. If lucky, leakers/data-miners may be able to decrypt it to showcase the upcoming Outfits, cosmetics items, and the brand new Web-Shooter Mythic. While this is based on speculation, new Reality Augments may also be added in.

Lastly, Epic Games may showcase the upcoming Crew Pack for June, and maybe, just maybe, files pertaining to a rumored live event may be added in as well. However, leakers/data-miners are not too sure about this one given that there's not much information in the files at present. That being said, Fortnite update v24.40 will be the second last major one for Chapter 4 Season 2.