GameHow to Fix Fortnite Error 20006: Couldn't Start the Game
You click Play, the launcher spins for a second, and then: "Couldn't start the game. (Error: 20006)". No match, no lobby, no squad — Fortnite won't even open. If you've run into this one, you're not alone: error 20006 is one of the most-searched Fortnite errors on PC, and it has nothing to do with your account or your skill level.
In plain English, error 20006 means Fortnite's anti-cheat system, Easy Anti-Cheat, failed to start. Fortnite won't launch without its anti-cheat service running, so the game gives up before it ever opens. The good news: the cause is almost always local to your PC — broken permissions, a corrupted anti-cheat install, or a program blocking it — and the 8 fixes below are ordered from fastest to most involved. Start at the top and work down.
What causes Fortnite error 20006?
The error appears when Easy Anti-Cheat can't initialize. The usual culprits:
- Easy Anti-Cheat isn't running as administrator — the anti-cheat service needs elevated permissions, and without them it silently fails to start.
- Corrupted Easy Anti-Cheat files — interrupted updates or bad shutdowns damage the anti-cheat's drivers and service registration.
- Antivirus interference — security software quarantines or blocks anti-cheat files, mistaking them for threats.
- Outdated Windows — missing system updates break the driver-level hooks the anti-cheat relies on.
- Missing Visual C++ runtimes — the libraries Fortnite and the anti-cheat depend on are absent or damaged.
- Conflicting overlay or monitoring software — Discord overlays, FPS counters, and screen recorders can clash with the anti-cheat at startup.
- Corrupted Fortnite game files — damaged installation data drags the anti-cheat components down with it.
1Run the game as administrator
The fastest fix for error 20006 is also the most common one: permissions. Easy Anti-Cheat installs a kernel-level driver, and Windows won't let it start without elevated rights. Right-click the Fortnite icon in the Epic Games Launcher and choose Run as Administrator. If the game launches, you've found your problem — make it permanent by right-clicking the Epic Games Launcher shortcut, opening Properties → Compatibility, and ticking "Run this program as an administrator." From now on, every launch gets the rights the anti-cheat needs.
2Repair Easy Anti-Cheat with its own setup tool
Fortnite ships with a dedicated repair tool for its anti-cheat, and it's the single most reliable fix for error 20006. Open File Explorer and navigate to your Fortnite install folder, then into the EasyAntiCheat subfolder — it's usually at C:\Program Files\Epic Games\Fortnite\FortniteGame\Binaries\Win64\EasyAntiCheat. Double-click EasyAntiCheat_Setup.exe, select Fortnite from the game dropdown, and click Repair Service. Wait for the confirmation, close everything, and launch Fortnite again. This reinstalls the anti-cheat's drivers and service registration without touching the rest of the game.
3Verify your Fortnite game files
If the repair tool didn't fully clear it, corrupted game files may be dragging the anti-cheat down. In the Epic Games Launcher, go to your Library, click the three dots next to Fortnite, and choose Verify. The launcher scans your entire installation and replaces damaged or missing files — including the anti-cheat components. Verification can take several minutes on a large install; let it finish completely before testing. After it completes, repeat the Repair Service step above, since verification and repair fix different layers of the problem.
4Install every pending Windows update
Error 20006 frequently shows up on systems missing critical Windows updates. Easy Anti-Cheat hooks into the operating system at a deep level, and outdated kernels or drivers break those hooks. Open Settings → Windows Update and install every pending update, including the optional driver updates many people ignore. Restart your PC when it finishes — a pending restart still counts as "not updated" for the anti-cheat — and then launch Fortnite again.
5Add Easy Anti-Cheat as an exception in your antivirus
Antivirus software is one of the top causes of error 20006: security tools quarantine or block Easy Anti-Cheat files, and the game can't start without them. Open your antivirus settings and add both the EasyAntiCheat folder and your main Fortnite folder as exclusions/exceptions. If your antivirus already quarantined files, restore them from quarantine first. After adding the exclusions, run the Verify step (Fix 3) again so the launcher replaces anything the antivirus damaged. Temporarily disabling your antivirus entirely is a good test — but don't leave it off; exclusions are the permanent answer.
6Install the latest Visual C++ redistributables
Fortnite and Easy Anti-Cheat depend on Microsoft's Visual C++ runtime libraries, and missing or damaged runtimes produce exactly this kind of launch failure. Go to Microsoft's official site and download the latest Visual C++ Redistributable packages — install both the x64 and x86 versions, since the anti-cheat uses components from each. Restart your PC afterward and test Fortnite. This fix sounds unrelated, but missing VC++ runtimes are a surprisingly common hidden cause of error 20006.
7Close conflicting programs and overlays
Overlay and monitoring software runs at the same deep system level as Easy Anti-Cheat, and the two can collide at startup. Before launching Fortnite, temporarily close Discord overlay, screen recorders, FPS counters, RGB lighting control software, and similar tools. If the game starts cleanly with them closed, re-enable them one at a time to identify the culprit — then either update that program, disable its overlay, or keep it closed while you play. Updating these programs also helps, since newer versions are usually built to coexist with anti-cheat software.
8Reinstall Easy Anti-Cheat — then Fortnite as a last resort
Still stuck? Use EasyAntiCheat_Setup.exe to uninstall the anti-cheat entirely, restart your PC, and let the Epic Games Launcher reinstall it fresh with Fortnite. If error 20006 survives that, do the full nuclear option: uninstall Fortnite completely and download a fresh copy from the Epic Games Launcher. A clean reinstall replaces every file from scratch. If the error still appears on a brand-new install — with admin rights, exclusions in place, and Windows fully updated — contact Epic Games Support with your PC specs, Windows version, antivirus name, and the fixes you've already tried.
Quick checklist to keep error 20006 away
- Always launch the Epic Games Launcher as administrator — it prevents most permission-related anti-cheat failures.
- Keep Windows fully updated, including optional driver updates.
- Keep your Fortnite and EasyAntiCheat folders as permanent antivirus exclusions.
- Don't run overlay or monitoring software you don't need while playing.
- After any Fortnite update, verify your files once before assuming something is broken.
Frequently asked questions
What does Fortnite error 20006 mean in plain English?
It means Fortnite's anti-cheat system, Easy Anti-Cheat, could not start. Fortnite refuses to launch without its anti-cheat service running, so instead of opening, it shows error 20006 with "Couldn't start the game." Your account is fine — the problem is with the anti-cheat installation or a program blocking it on your PC.
Is error 20006 caused by my PC or by Epic?
Almost always your PC. Error 20006 is a client-side launch failure — missing permissions, a corrupted anti-cheat install, blocked files, or outdated Windows. It's very different from server errors like error 91, which can come from Epic's side.
Does error 20006 mean I have a virus?
No. In most cases it's actually your antivirus causing the problem by blocking or quarantining Easy Anti-Cheat files. That doesn't mean the anti-cheat itself is malicious — it's standard protection software that security tools sometimes misidentify as a threat.
Why does repairing Easy Anti-Cheat fix error 20006?
The Repair Service option reinstalls the anti-cheat's drivers and service registration without touching the rest of Fortnite. Error 20006 usually means exactly those pieces are damaged or missing, so the repair replaces them and the game launches normally again.
Can I play Fortnite without Easy Anti-Cheat to avoid error 20006?
No. Fortnite requires Easy Anti-Cheat to run for online matches — the game simply won't launch without it. Disabling or removing it permanently isn't a workaround; the real fix is repairing the installation so the service starts correctly.
Will reinstalling Fortnite definitely fix error 20006?
Not always. A clean reinstall fixes corrupted files, but if the real cause is your antivirus blocking the anti-cheat, outdated Windows, or missing permissions, the error will come right back on the fresh install. Work through the fixes in order before resorting to a reinstall.
For most PC players, error 20006 is gone by Fix 2 — launching as administrator or running the anti-cheat repair tool. Work through the list in order and you'll be back in the Battle Bus fast. And if you ever get tired of troubleshooting and just want to play something instantly, the free browser games here on GameAdda launch with a single click — no anti-cheat required. 🎮