Fortnite modes to close

Epic Games is shutting down three Fortnite modes, with Ballistic and Festival Battle Stage set to go offline on April 16 and Rocket Racing to follow in October 2026. (gameinformer.com) The company said the cuts came after those modes failed to keep enough players. Fortnite’s official statement said Epic had “failed to build something awesome enough to attract and retain a large player base,” according to reports quoting the post. (gameinformer.com) Ballistic launched in early access on December 11, 2024 as a first-person, round-based five-versus-five shooter with no building and no respawns in each round. Epic said at launch that it planned future maps, weapons, and features based on player feedback. (fortnite.com) Rocket Racing had already slowed down before the shutdown notice. Epic’s last major Rocket Racing update page on Fortnite.com was published on October 12, 2024, and promised a ranked period ending with version 33.00. (fortnite.com) By April 2026, Fortnite’s live front page showed Rocket Racing with about 245 players, while Battle Royale showed about 310,200 and Reload showed about 86,900. Those public counts offered a snapshot of how far official side modes had fallen behind Fortnite’s core playlists. (fortnite.com) The shutdowns landed the same day Epic disclosed a much larger retrenchment. Chief executive Tim Sweeney said on March 24, 2026 that Epic was laying off more than 1,000 employees and cutting another $500 million in costs after a downturn in Fortnite engagement that began in 2025. (epicgames.com) Sweeney said Epic was “spending significantly more than we’re making,” and tied the problem to weaker player spending, slower industry growth, and lower current-console sales. The company said the layoffs left Epic with just over 4,000 employees. (epicgames.com) The move also fits Epic’s broader shift toward creator-made experiences inside Fortnite. In January 2025, Epic said it paid $352 million to creators in 2024 through its engagement payout system, which rewards islands that keep players active. (fortnite.com) Third-party coverage said Rocket Racing’s tools and systems are being folded into Unreal Editor for Fortnite, or UEFN, so creators can build their own racing maps even after Epic’s official mode ends. Players will still keep their vehicle cosmetics in their lockers. (fortnitetracker.com) Some players pushed back on Ballistic’s closure, arguing Epic ended the experiment too quickly. Fortnite Tracker reported that creator Typical Gamer publicly asked Tim Sweeney to let his company take over the mode rather than let it disappear. (fortnitetracker.com) For Fortnite players, the immediate date is April 16, 2026, when Ballistic and Festival Battle Stage are scheduled to go dark with update 40.20. Rocket Racing lasts longer, but Epic has already decided it will not survive the year. (gameinformer.com)