Fortnite Servers Offline Ahead Of High Stakes 5.40 Update Release

Following a slight delay, Epic Games has started the process of deploying Fortnite's latest weekly update. Patch 5.40, which was originally slated to arrive earlier this week before the developer discovered a "critical controller issue" and postponed it, is rolling out for all platforms today, Thursday, September 6, marking the start of the recently teased High Stakes event.

As usual, the update will be preceded by a round of maintenance, during which time Fortnite's servers will be offline. The maintenance period is scheduled to begin early in the day at 1 AM PT / 4 AM ET / 9 AM BST. Epic hasn't revealed how long the downtime is estimated to last, but previous maintenance periods have typically been brief, generally running for an hour or two.

Once servers are back online, players will be able to dive into the changes coming as part of the update. Among other things, Epic is tweaking how the storm works. Specifically, the edge of the storm will now deal damage to player structures "in the final phases" of a match. The developer is also vaulting another weapon, the Revolver, as a way to "keep the item pool feeling fresh and dynamic."

Most notably, the update will kick off High Stakes, a heist-themed event that consists of a new limited-time mode called Getaway. In this mode, four safes are scattered around the map, and players must work together in teams of four to find them, pilfer the jewel they contain, and safely reach the extraction point.

Getaway will also be accompanied by its own set of High Stakes challenges. These are completed by participating in the LTM and dealing damage to opponents who are carrying a jewel. There are three High Stakes challenges in total, and those who manage to finish all of them before the event ends will earn a crowbar skin for their pickaxe.

High Stakes also introduces one new skin and four masks, which will be available to purchase from Fortnite's in-game store. Additionally, Epic is adding a new type of gun called the Grappler; like its name implies, players can fire the gun at a wall and quickly launch themselves toward it. Meanwhile, Week 9's challenges have also been slightly delayed; they are now scheduled to go live on Friday, September 7.