Fortnite is down: When will Fortnite servers for The Simpsons season go live?

After months of leaks and rumors, the day has finally arrived Fortnite's The Simpsons Season Launches Today. It just wasn't quite there yet, as Fortnite went offline for maintenance following the “Welcome, Our Alien Overlords” event, during which players watched a Simpsons short explaining how they ended up becoming a part of the Fortnite universe.

As is Epic's standard operating procedure, Fortnite goes offline when major updates are made. While this usually happens in the middle of the night on weekdays, this season's launch is a special event, so it will begin on Saturday night. That's why it's currently offline for maintenance – Epic wants Fortnite x The Simpsons to launch in primetime on Saturday nights.

When is the Fortnite Simpsons season expected to launch?

Epic plans to bring Fortnite back online during The Simpsons season at 2 PM PT/5 PM ET, but that time is just an estimate and not set in stone. In fact, Fortnite maintenance rarely ends as planned because it's only done when it's done – which in practice often means earlier than expected. Fortnite maintenance typically lasts between four and seven hours, and the scheduled start time here breaks the difference into 5.5 hours of downtime. So don't be surprised if the season starts before or after that time.

When the season starts, everything will be different. This Fortnite x Simpsons event will feature a new cel-shaded map based on Springfield from the series, and will feature a Simpsons-themed battle pass and an improved loot pool. This may be the most thorough collaboration Fortnite has ever seen. For more information on what to expect, check out All new content in the Fortnite Simpsons season.