PS5 owners report Fortnite stuck on ‘update available’ screen

PS5 players attempting to jump into Fortnite today are running into a peculiar roadblock. The game is displaying an “update available” notification, but when users check for updates through the PlayStation system, nothing shows up. The console reports that everything is already up to date, leaving players stuck in a frustrating loop.

The issue surfaced shortly after Epic Games announced the return of Reload and Blitz modes with fresh content, including new maps and Morphite weapons.

Players on PS5 started flooding the FortNiteBR subreddit with reports of being unable to access the game.

User MoistyMuffin611 kicked off the discussion thread, noting that even after updating the PS5 system software, Fortnite still wouldn’t launch.​

Comments quickly piled up from other affected players, with many confirming the problem appears isolated to PS5 consoles. One user mentioned checking X and finding widespread complaints from the PS5 community.

Several players reported trying the console system update as a potential fix, but that didn’t resolve anything. Another player even resorted to reinstalling the entire game out of desperation, though it remains unclear if that worked.​

Over on X, the complaints mirror the Reddit discussion. Players tagged Fortnite and FortniteStatus accounts, with one user even sharing a screenshot of the update screen.

Another mentioned getting kicked from a lobby after being AFK, only to face the same “update required” message with no patch available to download.

The timing is particularly frustrating given today’s scheduled content drop for Reload and Blitz. Reload is returning with a new map called Surf City, while Blitz is bringing back Starfall Island. Epic hasn’t acknowledged the PS5-specific problem yet, though players remain hopeful a proper update will roll out soon to fix the issue. For now, PS5 users are stuck waiting while other platforms appear unaffected.

Featured image credit: @Youssef_Batata1 / X