Fortnite players across the UK are facing a temporary blackout as Epic Games takes the servers offline to deploy a major new update packed with content from the iconic animated series, South Park.
When Fortnite Servers Went Offline for Update 39.20
Epic Games officially began the server maintenance process for update v39.20 at 9:00 AM GMT on Friday, January 9, 2026. For players in other regions, this translated to 1:00 AM PDT and 4:00 AM EDT in the United States, and 10:00 AM CET in mainland Europe.
The developer disabled matchmaking thirty minutes prior to the full shutdown, meaning the final opportunity to start a game was at 8:30 AM GMT. The news was confirmed by Epic Games via a post on X, formerly Twitter, which alerted the community to "round up your Quint and lock in!".
What the South Park Update Brings to Fortnite
This significant patch introduces a wave of themed content inspired by the long-running Comedy Central show. The headline feature is a free mini-Battle Pass, which will grant players access to a variety of South Park items without cost.
Additionally, the in-game Item Shop will be stocked with a number of character skins for purchase. Players can also expect to wield powerful new items directly inspired by the show's unique humour and characters, promising fresh gameplay dynamics.
When Will Fortnite Servers Be Back Online?
The scheduled server downtime is expected to last for approximately two hours. According to the official Epic Games server status page, this means players should be able to log back in and experience the new South Park content from around 11:00 AM GMT on January 9.
This correlates to 3:00 AM PDT, 6:00 AM EDT, and 12:00 PM (noon) CET. While updates can occasionally encounter delays, the two-hour window is the official estimate provided by the developer. Players are advised to check the official Fortnite status channels for any last-minute changes.
