Epic Games rolls out the highly anticipated Fortnite v40.20 update today, April 16. Following the recent April Fool’s Day event and the OG Pass in patch v40.10, this patch delivers massive changes to the live-service title.
Downtime officially begins at 4:00 AM ET / 1:00 PM PKT. Developers typically disable matchmaking 30 minutes prior. Therefore, players cannot join new matches after 3:30 AM ET / 12:30 PM PKT. Consequently, servers will remain offline for a couple of hours while Epic Games prepares the patch.
‼️ Showdown Act II begins. Save the World goes free-to-play.
Downtime for v40.20 begins at 4 AM ET (8 AM UTC) with matchmaking ending shortly beforehand:https://t.co/9aeRju4Ctc
— Fortnite Status (@FortniteStatus) April 15, 2026
Fortnite Festival Season 14 Introduces Pro Instruments
The v40.20 update officially kicks off Fortnite Festival Season 14. This season heavily caters to music fans. Specifically, Laufey supporters can grab her exclusive skin in the Item Shop. Furthermore, players can unlock additional skins and cosmetics through the Music Pass.
Additionally, the game now supports exciting new hardware features. Karaoke enthusiasts can connect a microphone to their PC or console to sing along using the new Pro Vocals mechanic. Meanwhile, players can plug in a Rock Band 4 or compatible drum kit to experience the new Pro Drums feature.
Save the World Mode Transitions to Free-to-Play
Perhaps the biggest news involves Fortnite’s original game mode. Starting today, Save the World transitions entirely to a free-to-play model. Previously, this tower defense mode locked out players unless they purchased a Founder’s Pack or a Save the World Quest Pack.
However, new players face one major limitation. The free-to-play version of Save the World does not grant free V-Bucks. Epic Games restricts V-Bucks rewards exclusively to players who originally paid for the game. Still, the update offers a perfect opportunity for players to finally try out the classic mode for free.
