Fortnite update 5.21 introduces several new features to the game. These include fun, new additions such as the Heavy Sniper Rifle which makes players even more lethal from across the map as well as the Sniper Shootout and Soaring 50s Limited Time Modes. However, some players aren't able to enjoy these as intended as the update is also causing Fortnite to crash more often.

The Fortnite crashing issue has been addressed on the game's official Twitter account. Developer Epic Games says that it is "aware of an increase in crashes" in Fortnite Battle Royale following the release of the v5.21 patch. Epic also says that it has "identified the issue and is working on a fix," before directing players to look at the game's status tracker at status.epicgames.com. That status tracker echoes the message in the tweet ("a fix is being worked on") though it doesn't offer any information on when that fix may become available.

Unsurprisingly, the tweet has already received some angry replies from some disgruntled Fortnite fans. Some have asked why Epic doesn't use mandatory periods of downtime in order to ensure that the rollout of updates has gone smoothly. Epic Games did use a period of downtime for the release of Fortnite Season 5, so some are asking why smaller, mid-season updates like patch v2.51 can't also use that format.

Others may point out that Epic is already stretched across several platforms and is having to bust technical issues across PC, mobile, and consoles. Recently, the performance issues with the Android version of Fortnite made headlines. Players on Android devices of a specific spec reported problems with how the mobile game is running, with Epic having to act fast to diagnose the problem and start working on a fix.

Epic may be a large company but some may argue that the developer is only able to identify bugs once the updates have been released into the wild. After all, the game is still technically in early access (despite its success) and bug fixing is what early access periods tend to be used for.

Epic has several more significant Fortnite updates planned for the next few weeks and months. The developer has already announced plans to buff pump shotguns, for example, while the closure of the game's giant rift has also led to speculation that a major shakeup is on the way. Players will be hoping that these don't lead to such frequent crashes or that Epic is able to identify and fix those issues quickly, at least.

Fortnite is available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and iOS devices. An Android beta is currently taking place.