If Fortnite on Windows displays Easy Anti-Cheat error code 20006, start with the game’s included Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) installation or repair steps, then check how you launch the game and whether EAC can connect. Epic’s support pages cover related EAC launch problems, but do not define code 20006 itself, so no single cause or guaranteed fix is established. Note the complete error text before troubleshooting.
What Fortnite error 20006 means—and what is not confirmed
Easy Anti-Cheat is required to play Fortnite, and Epic provides Windows 10 and Windows 11 instructions for installing it. However, Epic’s available support guidance does not identify a specific cause for error code 20006. Some third-party videos associate the code with “Cannot Create service (StartService failed: 2),” but that association is not confirmed by the official sources cited here. Treat the full message on your screen—not the code alone—as useful information when seeking help.
The steps below draw on Epic’s guidance for related EAC launch errors and general EAC troubleshooting. They are sensible checks, not an official code-specific fix or a promise of success.
Try the bundled Easy Anti-Cheat installation first
- Close Fortnite and EAC. If an EAC process will not close, restart Windows before continuing.
- Start Fortnite and watch for an installation prompt. If Windows asks to install Easy Anti-Cheat, accept the prompt and allow the process to finish. Epic’s Fortnite installation instructions cover this route for Windows 10 and 11.
- If no prompt appears, use Fortnite’s included EAC files. In the Fortnite installation directory, locate the
EasyAntiCheat_EOSfolder and follow Epic’s manual installation instructions. The directory varies with the location chosen when Fortnite was installed; there is no single path to assume. - Retry through Epic Games Launcher. Epic’s general EAC guidance recommends launching the game through the launcher. Check whether the same complete error message appears.
Epic says reinstalling Fortnite on the same drive as Windows may be necessary to avoid registry or user-permission issues. This is a possibility Epic identifies, not a universal requirement or a first step for every player.
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If EAC appears missing, try Epic’s related repair procedure
For the separate launch error “Easy Anti-cheat is not installed,” Epic describes repairing EAC through a shortcut to its executable in the Fortnite installation directory. This procedure is documented for that related error; Epic does not identify it as a specific fix for code 20006.
- Find the EAC executable in Fortnite’s installation directory, using Epic’s repair instructions to identify the file and create a shortcut.
- In the shortcut’s Target field, add
repairas directed in the article. Follow its exact formatting instructions rather than changing other target text. - Run the shortcut with the required permission, then try Fortnite again through Epic Games Launcher.
Check EAC connectivity, Windows updates, and network blocking
If EAC still cannot start or connect, Epic’s general Easy Anti-Cheat troubleshooting includes checking access to its listed download endpoints. Open those endpoints as described by Epic and look for 200 - HTTP OK. If neither endpoint works, Epic says a firewall or router setting may be blocking the connection.
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- Check whether firewall or router settings are blocking EAC’s connection. If you cannot determine the relevant setting, Epic advises contacting your router manufacturer or internet service provider as needed.
- Install available Windows updates, as Epic recommends in its general EAC checklist.
- Retry Fortnite from Epic Games Launcher after making a change, so you can tell whether the result changed.
Epic Online Services describes EasyAntiCheat_EOS_Setup.exe as a Windows service installer that can install, repair, or uninstall the anti-cheat service. That developer documentation explains the tool’s function; it does not establish that a service failure is the cause of your particular 20006 error.
When to contact Epic Support
If these related-error and general troubleshooting steps do not help, contact Epic Games Player Support. Include the complete error message, your Windows version, and the steps you have already tried. That information gives support more to work with than the code by itself; it does not imply that Epic has published a confirmed explanation for error 20006.
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