Fortnite’s new season is finally out around the corner and it seems to be getting a lot of attention from new users as well. Many players that had abandoned the game earlier are also looking to jump back in.

If you have been trying to play Fortnite again and are facing the ‘You do not have permission to play Fortnite’ error with season 5 update then you are not alone. There are two main reasons for this issue for most users. Let’s take a quick look at them and their potential fixes.

Related: Fortnite Season 5 Win Umbrella Guide

What causes the ‘You do not have permission to play Fortnite’ error

This error is majorly caused due to either the servers being down or improper linking between your PSN, XBL, Nintendo, and Epic games accounts. In case servers are down, then you can check Fortnite’s official Twitter handle for regular updates on fixes.

Additionally, you can also check the Epic Games’ server status page to keep up with the latest information. In case Fortnite servers are down, the page will show Fortnite as non-operational.

If you have been facing this issue recently then chances are that it was due to scheduled maintenance that happened today ie: 2nd December 2020 at the time of writing this post. The issue seems to have been resolved for now and the servers are back up and running.

Related: Is the Pump Shotgun Vaulted in Fortnite Season 5?

How to fix the ‘You do not have permission to play Fornite’ error

Server Issue

If this is a server-sided issue then it is affecting all the players on the platforms. Fortnite and Epic games keep their social handles updated with server downtimes and usually inform players in advance if possible. Check the current status of Fortnite servers using the links below.

Unfortunately, if the servers are down then there is nothing much you can do about it. Simply have some patience and wait it out until the maintenance on Fortnite servers has finished. Once done, you should be able to log in easily and play the game as you usually do.

Servers are not down

If servers are currently operational then chances are that Fortnite is having trouble differentiating between all the accounts linked to your Epic Games account. This issue is a common occurrence for users that either have multiple Epic Games’ accounts or in case you have multiple platforms linked to your Epic Games account.

The best way to get rid of this error is to delink and relink your accounts again. Additionally, if you have multiple Epic Games Accounts then you can simply log out and log in to your other account to potentially fix the error.

Delink and Relink your Epic Games account.

If you are a Steam, Xbox, or PSN user then you have probably linked your account to your Epic Games account associated with Fortnite. Sometimes major server updates and changes can cause these connected accounts to malfunction which can be fixed by simply relinking them again.

Start by launching the Epic Games Launcher on your system. Now click in the bottom right corner on your account and select ‘Manage Account’. You will now be redirected to a web page in your browser where you should see all your account information.

Click on ‘Connections’ in the left sidebar and you should now see a list of all the accounts connected with your current Epic Games accounts under the ‘Accounts tab’. Simply click on ‘Disconnect’ and confirm your choice for each account. Once disconnected, click on ‘Connect’ again and follow through with the procedure on your screen.

This should fix the ‘You do not have permission to play Fortnite’ error for you.

Sign out and sign in to another Epic Games account

If you have multiple epic games accounts then chances are that you are logged in to the wrong one.

Ideally, this should just create a new profile for you and treat you as a new player in Fortnite but it can sometimes cause issues with previous installations of the game associated with your other Epic Games account.

Simply launch the Epic Games launcher, click on your ‘Epic ID’ in the bottom left corner and select ‘Sign Out’.

Now simply sign back in with your other Epic Games account and the error should be resolved for you.

We hope you were able to fix the ‘You do not have permission to play Fortnite’ error through these fixes. If something else managed to work for you, then feel free to share your feedback in the comments section below.