You're geared up. Your squad is finally all online at the same time, which is a miracle in itself. You hit "Ready," the loading screen flashes for a split second, and then—nothing. Just a grey box telling you that Fortnite error code -91 has ruined your night. It's frustrating. Honestly, it's one of those errors that feels personal because it usually happens right when the game is about to start.
Basically, this error is a connection hiccup. Specifically, it's a notification that you've failed to join a party or have been kicked from one because of a communication "breakdown" between your platform and Epic Games' servers. It isn't a hardware failure. Your console isn't dying. It’s just a digital handshake that didn't quite happen.
What is Fortnite Error Code -91 Actually Telling You?
Most people think their internet is down when they see this. That’s usually not the case. If your internet were totally dead, you’d likely see a different notification or lose connection to Discord or Xbox Live entirely. Error -91 is more nuanced. It’s a party connectivity issue.
Epic Games describes this as a "Public/Private Party" error. Essentially, the game's matchmaking service is struggling to verify your permission to be in that specific group. Maybe the party leader’s settings are wonky. Maybe the "Joinable" status of the lobby is flickering. Sometimes, the server just gets confused about who is supposed to be where. It happens a lot during peak hours or right after a major update, like when a new season drops and the traffic is absolutely insane.
You’ve probably noticed it happens more frequently when you’re playing cross-platform. If you’re on PC and your buddy is on a PlayStation 5, there are more layers of authentication to go through. Sony’s servers have to talk to Epic’s servers, which then have to talk to your ISP. If any part of that chain lags for even a millisecond, the game throws up its hands and gives you the -91.
The Myth of the "Broken" Game
Let’s clear something up. I see people on Reddit and Twitter (or X, whatever we're calling it now) claiming their account is banned or their files are corrupted when this pops up.
Stop.
That’s not it.
You don't need to reinstall 100GB of Fortnite data because of a party error. That’s like buying a new car because your key fob battery died. It’s overkill and a waste of your afternoon.
The First Line of Defense: The "Soft" Fixes
Before you go digging into your router settings like a tech support agent, try the stuff that takes ten seconds.
First, have everyone in the party leave and then re-join. It sounds stupidly simple. It works more often than you’d think. By disbanding the party, you're forcing the Epic servers to create a brand-new "Instance ID" for your group. If the old ID was bugged, the new one will likely be clean.
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If that doesn't work, try changing your party privacy. If it’s set to "Public," switch it to "Private" and invite your friends manually. Or vice versa. This forces a status update on the server side.
Reboot the game. Not just the match—the whole application. Close Fortnite, wait five seconds, and relaunch it. If you’re on a console, make sure you actually "Quit" the app from the dashboard rather than just suspending it. Consoles love to keep games in a "quick resume" state that doesn't actually refresh server tokens. You need a fresh login.
Check the Epic Games Status Page
Sometimes, the problem isn't you at all. It's them. Epic Games has a dedicated status page (status.epicgames.com) that tracks "Game Play & Matchmaking." If you see a yellow or red bar next to those categories, you can stop troubleshooting. No amount of restarting your router will fix a server that is currently on fire in a data center in Virginia. Just go grab a snack and wait it out.
Going Deeper: Network Settings and DNS
If you’ve restarted everything and you’re still seeing Fortnite error code -91, we need to look at how your hardware talks to the internet.
Modern routers are smart, but they can be aggressive with their firewalls. Sometimes they see the packet of data coming from Epic's party service and think, "Nope, that looks suspicious," and block it. This is where "Power Cycling" comes in. And I don't mean just hitting the power button. Unplug the power cable from the back of your router. Leave it out for a full 60 seconds. This allows the capacitors to drain and clears the internal cache. Plug it back in, wait for the lights to go green, and try again.
The DNS Trick
Your ISP (Comcast, AT&T, etc.) provides you with a default DNS. Often, these are slow or unreliable for gaming. Switching to a public DNS can sometimes bypass the routing issues causing the -91 error.
- Google DNS: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
- Cloudflare DNS: 1.1.1.1
Changing this on a PC is easy via Network Settings. On a console, you go into your Advanced WiFi settings and manually enter the primary and secondary DNS. It’s a "set it and forget it" fix that usually improves your overall ping anyway.
Cross-Play Complications
If you are a console player, you have another hurdle: Platform-specific permissions.
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Both Xbox and PlayStation have settings that can disable cross-play. If you accidentally toggled this off, or if a system update reset your privacy defaults, you will get Fortnite error code -91 every time you try to join a friend on a different platform.
On Xbox, check your "Account Privacy & Online Safety" settings under the "Communication & Multiplayer" tab. Make sure "You can join cross-network play" is set to "Allow." On PlayStation, it's usually handled within the Fortnite in-game settings menu under the "Account and Privacy" tab (the little person icon). If "Allow Cross-Platform Play" is off, the game literally cannot form a party with anyone outside your ecosystem.
Verify Game Files (PC Only)
For the PC crowd, there is a small chance a tiny file related to the Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) or the social overlay got nicked.
Open the Epic Games Launcher. Go to your Library. Click the three dots (...) next to Fortnite. Hit "Manage" and then "Verify." The launcher will scan your files against the master copy. If something is missing, it’ll download just that tiny piece. It’s way faster than a full reinstall and covers the "what if" scenarios.
Dealing with "Ghost" Parties
Ever had a friend show as "In Lobby" when they’re actually in a match? Or maybe they show as offline but they're literally talking to you in a party? That's a synchronization error.
When the social API (the part of the code that handles friends lists) gets desynced, Fortnite error code -91 is the result. The easiest way to kick the system back into gear is to have the person who isn't getting the error become the party leader. Or, have everyone sit in the lobby without being in a party for two minutes. Let the servers "see" that everyone is idle and available.
Real-World Nuance: The Role of VPNs
If you use a VPN for work or privacy, turn it off before launching Fortnite. Epic Games has a very complicated relationship with VPNs. Because they are often used to bypass IP bans or to get cheaper V-Bucks in different regions, the servers are programmed to be suspicious of them. A VPN adds an extra hop to your data's journey, which increases the likelihood of a timeout—triggering our favorite error code.
If you absolutely must use one, make sure you're using a "Split Tunneling" feature so Fortnite traffic bypasses the VPN entirely.
Summary of Actionable Steps
Don't panic when you see the error. Follow this sequence and you'll be back in the Battle Bus in no time:
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- Disband and Recreate: Everyone leaves the party, a different person invites the group.
- Toggle Privacy: Switch party settings from Public to Private.
- Hard Close: Fully quit the Fortnite app and relaunch. Don't use "Sleep" or "Quick Resume."
- Check the Status: Visit the Epic Games Status site to ensure it's not a global outage.
- Power Cycle: Unplug your router for 60 seconds to clear the cache.
- Verify Cross-Play: Ensure your console settings allow for cross-network communication.
- Verify Files: Use the Epic Launcher to repair the installation if you're on PC.
Usually, the "Disband and Recreate" step solves 90% of these cases. The -91 is a temporary glitch, not a permanent wall. Keep your party settings simple, keep your drivers updated, and if the servers are taking a beating because of a live event, just be patient. The loop will still be there when the connection stabilizes.