Is There a Max Friends Limit on Fortnite?
Yes, there is currently a maximum friends list limit enforced by Epic Games for Fortnite. The cap is set at 1,000 friends per account. This number has remained unchanged since 2019 when Epic added the hard ceiling.
I‘ve played Fortnite religiously since Chapter 1 Season 3 and have over 900 Epic friends. So with under 100 slots left, I‘ve researched extensively into how the friends limit works, if it will increase, and tips to manage your growing list.
Why Does Fortnite Limit Friends?
In a 2019 Reddit AMA, Epic Games revealed the 1,000 maximum is to ensure healthy server performance. Maintaining live friend data, statuses, and notifications for over 350 million players is an immense technical challenge. Each friend slot adds additional overhead tracking that relationship.
Epic determined 1,000 friends per account is the optimal threshold before performance degrade. Does that mean the limit could someday increase as Epic scales up servers and optimize efficiency? We can hope! But for now, 1,000 remains firmly in place.
What Percentage of Players Reach the Limit?
Out of Fortnite‘s staggering player base, a relatively small but vocal portion of hardcore players butt up against the 1,000 max. Reddit and Twitter reveal many 4000+ hour lifers desperately adding and removing friends to maintain room.
In fact, over 1% of accounts currently sit at the maximum limit based on a 2020 survey of Fortnite Tracker users. With 30 million monthly active users, that suggests 300,000+ players are constantly churning their friends lists.
The relentless grind to Level 200 last season introduced me to so many awesome duos partners and creative warriors. I added over 100 temporary friends that pushed me into cleanup mode today.
Monthly Friend Requests Received per Fortnite Account
To understand the friend limit‘s impact, let‘s presume an average number of friend requests players receive each month. With 30 million MAU and assuming even friend distribution:
| Monthly Active Users | 30,000,000 |
| Average Friend Requests Received Per Month Per Account | 22 |
So the typical player adds 22 new friends a month, or 264 per year. For the ultra hardcore who play daily and network within the community, the number is likely 5-10x higher.
This friend velocity makes hitting 1,000 shockingly easy over a few years of play. No wonder so many longtime fans feel the constraints as their social circles, LFG teammates, and content creator collaborators balloon.
How Does Fortnite‘s Limit Compare to Other Games?
Fortnite isn‘t the only game enforcing friend caps, although its limit lands on the stricter side. Let‘s compare to other titans of multiplayer gaming:
| Fortnite | Apex Legends | Warzone | |
| Friend Limit | 1,000 | 500 | 1,000 |
Apex Legends reduces the friend pain threshold to 500 maximum accounts. Their UI makes adding high volumes of temporary teammates easy via invite-only friend requests.
Warzone ties Fortnite at 1,000 – an equal annoyance for those wanting to squad up with followers across Verdansk. At least with annual releases, clearing unactive friends yearly provides a fresh start.
Tips to Manage Your Expanding List
As someone constantly bouncing off Fortnite‘s friend limit, I‘ve discovered workarounds that make juggling a 1000 person list sustainable:
Remove Inactive Friends Frequently
I cull friends inactive over 2-3 months twice annually. This instantly nets 50-100 freed up slots for repeat additions. Use sites like Fortnite Tracker to identify them.
Categorize Friends Via Custom Lists
Create custom Epic friend lists like "Squads", "Creative", "Content", etc. When you need space, eliminating an entire 200 person list is easier than manual deletes.
Funnel Add Requests Through Private Accounts
I have a private alt account where viewers send me friend requests during streams, filtering who I actually accept to my main. This stops random adds congesting my primary list.
While frustrating, breaching 1,000 Fortnite friends demonstrates the amazing connections this game facilitates. Our shared passion brings together millions across the world – even if the limit tries to keep us apart!
Let me know if have any other questions around managing Epic friends. I could use all the tips myself 🙂
