Epic Games Launches Fortnite Update Patch Notes With 90-Minute Downtime
Fortnite update patch notes for 40.30 are live to download, but players still cannot jump in while Epic Games carries out scheduled maintenance. The downtime starts at 4 AM ET and is expected to hold new content back for about 90 minutes across PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2 and Android.
4 AM ET for v40.30
Epic Games said, "Downtime for v40.30 begins at 4 AM ET (8 AM UTC) with matchmaking ending shortly beforehand". That puts a hard stop on access before the patch is playable, and the 90-minute window gives a rough return point rather than an instant handoff to the new build.
For UK players, matchmaking ends at 8.30am UK time, with Fortnite taken offline at 9am BST. If the estimate holds, players can log back in at 10.30am BST, which is the first usable window for anyone waiting on the update rather than the download itself.
Star Wars Clone Wars content
The update adds another batch of Star Wars Clone Wars content, crossover skins and new Rivals gameplay. Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker skins are scheduled to hit the Item Shop on May 1, giving the patch a sales hook as well as a gameplay one.
Epic Games also said more Sidekick characters are coming, including Fox Sidekick and Sluro Sidekick. That makes 40.30 more than a routine maintenance build: it is the kind of update that pulls in both players looking for new modes and buyers waiting for character drops.
Fortnite and Rocket League
The patch is also tied to an imminent Overwatch collaboration that joins Fortnite and Rocket League. For players, the immediate move is simple: download now, then wait for maintenance to end before expecting the new content to work in-game.
That sequence leaves the update in a familiar spot for live-service games — available on the client, locked behind downtime, and built to push people back in once the servers reopen. If the 90-minute estimate holds, the real decision point comes at 10.30am BST, when the game should be usable again.
