Epic Games will return Fortnite's competitive play to NA East servers in December 2026, the company announced in a post on X. Esports.gg reported the announcement on Tuesday.
The move retires NA Central as a tournament region. Events including the Fortnite Champion Series will run on NA East and NA West instead, with the new NA East servers located in Virginia — where much of the competitive field was based before the region was replaced.
Three years on NA Central
Epic added the NA Central region in February 2023, with servers in Texas, and NA East players campaigned for the decision to be reversed from the moment it was made. Competitors on the East Coast and in Canada were left choosing between playing the game's most prestigious tournaments on high ping or moving house; Esports.gg reported that many quit rather than do either, while others relocated to Texas to keep a zero-ping connection for the last three years.
Restoring NA East reopens the tournament pool to players in Canada and on the East Coast without asking them to move, and lets competitors who did move for NA Central return to where they started. Esports.gg reported that European players will also be able to queue into tournaments on lower ping than NA Central allowed, and that many top players are expected to relocate east once the change takes effect.
Timing and what is still unsettled
The switch takes effect in December, after the 2026 Fortnite Global Championship and the Solo FNCS that follows it. What happens to tournaments beyond that event has not been confirmed, and the 2027 FNCS format is still open — Esports.gg reported that players are currently voting between Duos and Trios.
Epic made the announcement with a video featuring competitive players Cody "Clix" Conrod and Fortnite Champion Series winners Kyle "Bugha" Giersdorf, Leon "Khanada" Khim and Miguel "Pollo" Moreno, who are shown loading into an RV and heading home.
