Fortnite continues to dominate as one of the top multiplayer games worldwide, thriving on teamwork, creative modes, and community play. Whether you're jumping into Battle Royale, climbing the Ranked ladder, or discovering wild maps in UEFN (Unreal Editor for Fortnite), the game is always more fun with friends.
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But if you’ve ever tried to invite a friend only to see the status “In the Launcher” under their name, you might be left wondering: what does that actually mean? And can they still join your party?
Let’s break it all down.
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What Does “In the Launcher” Mean in Fortnite?
When a friend is labeled as “In the Launcher”, it simply means they are currently logged into the Epic Games Launcher, but they haven’t opened Fortnite yet.
In other words:
- They are online and connected to the Epic Games platform.
- They could be browsing the store, checking their game library, or updating something.
- They're not inside Fortnite just yet.
This status is Epic’s way of showing that the player is active on the platform — just not in the game.
Are They Playing Another Game?
Yes, that's another possible reason for the "In the Launcher" tag.
If your friend is using the Epic Games Launcher to play another game like:
- Rocket League
- Fall Guys
- Alan Wake II
- or any other Epic-supported title…
…they’ll still show up as “In the Launcher” on your Fortnite friends list. That’s because they’re active within Epic’s ecosystem, just not inside Fortnite specifically.
How Is “In the Launcher” Different from “Away”?
This season is looking pretty… super!
— Fortnite (@Fortnite) June 7, 2025
(see what we did there) pic.twitter.com/sFKMA94ccU
The “Away” status indicates a friend is idle — they’re logged in, but they haven’t interacted with the launcher or the game for a while. This could happen if:
- They stepped away from their device.
- They left the launcher running in the background.
- Their system went idle or into sleep mode.
So while both statuses show the player is not currently in Fortnite, “Away” means inactive, whereas “In the Launcher” means active but in a different space.
Can You Invite Someone Who Is “In the Launcher”?
Yes, you can still send them an invite! 🎉
Here’s how it works:
- Send an invite like normal from your friends list.
- Your friend will receive a pop-up notification in the Epic Games Launcher.
- If they accept, it will automatically launch Fortnite and place them into your party.
Just keep in mind:
- They need to be at their device and see the notification.
- If they’re playing another game, they’ll need to exit that to join you in Fortnite.
What If Someone Is in-Game But Still Shows as “In the Launcher”?
This can occasionally happen due to:
- Connection sync issues
- Epic Games Launcher not updating statuses in real-time
- Bugs or glitches in the friend system
If your friend is definitely in the game but still showing as “In the Launcher,” try restarting your game or checking back in a few minutes. If the issue persists, you can report it or contact Epic Games Support for assistance.
Seeing a friend marked as “In the Launcher” in Fortnite doesn’t mean they’re unavailable — it just means they haven’t opened the game yet. Whether they’re playing something else, updating their library, or just logged in, you can still invite them and potentially squad up.
So next time you see this status, go ahead and hit that invite button — it might be the start of your next Victory Royale.
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