To make a Fortnite Creative match private, enter the island in Create mode, open Island Settings, and set Mode → Matchmaking Settings → Island Matchmaking Privacy to Private. That restricts the session to players in the same party. If people will enter through a published island code, share that code only with the intended group. For a separate Epic Battle Royale custom match, use a case-sensitive 4–16-character custom key and make sure every participant selects the host’s server region before the match starts.
The distinction between these systems matters: an island code plus Island Matchmaking Privacy controls a Creative island, while an Epic custom matchmaking key starts a Battle Royale custom match. A Matchmaking Portal is an optional in-island way to send players to a coded destination, and its Join Option can be set to Private Only.
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What you are setting up
Fortnite has several privacy and access controls that look similar but apply to different parts of the game. The correct choice depends on whether you are hosting a Creative island, sending players through a portal, or running Epic’s Battle Royale custom-match system.
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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →- Private Creative island: An island’s Island Matchmaking Privacy is set to Private. Players in the host’s party can join the island session.
- Published island-code session: Players use the island code to reach the published island, then the island’s privacy and matchmaking settings determine who can enter.
- Matchmaking Portal: A device inside an island points to another island code. The portal can be limited to Private Only and can have code-override and cooldown controls.
- Epic Battle Royale custom match: The host uses a custom key rather than a Creative island code. The host must be active in an eligible Epic creator program, and every player must use the same region and enter the key before the match begins.
These options are not interchangeable. A Creative island’s privacy setting does not create an Epic Battle Royale custom key, and possessing an island code does not by itself guarantee access to a private session.
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Island Settings versus Game Settings
In Create mode, Island Settings define the island’s shared rules. They affect the session for everyone who plays the island, including privacy, teams, player limits, rounds, starting behavior, and late-join behavior.
Game Settings are personal player preferences. They belong to the individual player rather than changing the island’s rules. If you are trying to make matchmaking private, changing a personal Game Settings option will not replace the island-level privacy setting.
How to make a Creative island private
- Enter the island in Create mode. Do not begin by launching a play session if you need to edit the island’s shared rules.
- Open the Creative menu. In Create mode, open the menu and select Island Settings.
- Open the matchmaking controls. Go to Mode → Matchmaking Settings.
- Set privacy to Private. Change Island Matchmaking Privacy to Private. Epic describes public games as joinable by anyone and private games as restricted to groups of players in the same party.
- Choose the party behavior deliberately. Use Private when the island should remain party-only. Public allows anyone to join. Party Choice lets the player choose public or private when launching, so it is useful only when the host needs to switch between those modes.
- Configure the structure of the match. Under Structure, set Max Players, Teams, Team Size, and Total Rounds for the group you expect.
- Resolve team settings before testing. If Teams is set to Custom, choose a fixed Team Size. Do not leave Team Size at Dynamic; Epic documents that the Custom-plus-Dynamic combination prevents matchmaking from working.
- Set the start and late-join rules. In Game Start Settings, decide whether the match starts automatically or manually and what happens to players who arrive after the game begins.
- Publish when a code is required. If players will enter through an island code, publish the island and share the resulting code with the party.
- Set one matchmaking region. Have everyone use the same region, or let everyone use Auto. A closer region generally gives better response time; Epic’s custom-key workflow specifically requires the host and participants to use the same server region.
Choosing player, team, and round limits
The Structure section should describe the actual group you are inviting. Set Max Players high enough for the intended party but not so high that the session’s design becomes confusing. Epic’s Creative documentation lists 32 as a documented maximum-player value for a matchmaking session; the value available to your island can depend on the island and mode settings shown in the current editor.
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Total Rounds controls how many rounds the session plays. Decide this before inviting players if the match has a tournament or scorekeeping format, because changing the round plan after people join can invalidate the schedule you gave them.
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Why Custom teams need a fixed size
Custom teams let the island designer define team assignments rather than relying on the game to distribute players. Dynamic team size conflicts with that arrangement: the game cannot use a fixed custom-team design while also changing the number of players per team automatically. If matchmaking hangs, fails to start, or never creates the session, inspect these two fields first:
- Teams: Custom
- Team Size: a fixed number, not Dynamic
Start behavior and late joiners
Under Game Start Settings, Auto Start controls whether the game begins when its conditions are met. Auto Start settings other than Off work only on published islands. A private game on an unpublished island with Auto Start set to Off must be started manually.
The Join in Progress setting determines what a player sees when joining after the game has started. Available choices include:
- Spawn: place the late player into the active game according to the island’s spawning rules.
- Spectate: allow the player to watch rather than participate immediately.
- Spawn on Next Round: hold the player until the current round ends.
- A selected team number: assign the late player to a specified team.
Pick the option that matches your format. For a competitive round-based event, Spawn on Next Round avoids introducing a player into a round that is already underway. For a casual party session, Spawn may be more convenient.
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Using a published island code for a private session
An island code identifies a published Creative island; it is not a password by itself. Privacy still comes from the island’s matchmaking setting and the party relationship of the people attempting to join.
Host checklist
- Publish the island if it is not already published.
- Verify Island Matchmaking Privacy is set to Private.
- Confirm the player limit, team arrangement, rounds, start behavior, and Join in Progress setting.
- Copy the island code exactly and send it to the intended party.
- Choose the matchmaking region, or leave it on Auto if all participants will do the same.
- Launch the island and confirm that only the party can enter.
Player checklist
- Join the host’s Fortnite party or use the invitation method the host specified.
- Enter or select the exact island code supplied by the host.
- Use the same matchmaking region as the host when the host has specified one.
- Join before the game starts if the island’s Join in Progress setting does not allow active-round entry.
If a player can see the island but cannot enter, check the privacy mode and party relationship before changing unrelated gameplay settings. Private means party-restricted; it does not mean that anyone who merely knows the code can join.
How to configure a Matchmaking Portal
A Matchmaking Portal is useful when players are already inside one Creative island and should be sent to another island. The portal stores a destination island code and applies its own join controls.
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- Enter the destination island code.
- Set Join Option to Private Only when the destination should not accept public joins through the portal.
- Review Code Override Allowed. Disable override or restrict it when players must use only the destination you selected.
- Choose the portal’s cooldown and reset policy so repeated use behaves as intended.
- Test the portal with the same party that will use it. Confirm that it sends players to the correct island and that a public alternative cannot be selected accidentally.
A portal can be configured to accept a code override, but that flexibility can defeat a tightly controlled event if left unrestricted. For a fixed private destination, use the destination code you verified, select Private Only, and disable or restrict override unless there is a clear reason to permit it.
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When a portal sends players to the wrong session
- Re-enter the destination island code and compare every character.
- Check whether Code Override Allowed is enabled and whether a player supplied a different code.
- Review the portal’s cooldown and reset behavior; a previous destination or session may still be active until the reset occurs.
- Confirm Join Option is Private Only when the portal should block public access.
- Test from a fresh launch after saving the portal settings.
How Epic’s Battle Royale custom-key match works
Epic’s custom-key workflow is a separate system from a Creative island-code session. It is for Battle Royale, not for launching a Creative island through its published code.
Eligibility and host requirements
The host must be active in an eligible Epic creator program. The host selects Battle Royale, chooses a server region, and creates the custom key. The key must contain 4–16 characters, cannot use special characters, and is case sensitive.
Host procedure
- Confirm that you meet Epic’s creator-program requirement.
- Select the Battle Royale game mode.
- Choose the server region that all participants will use.
- Create a custom matchmaking key containing 4–16 characters with no special characters.
- Give the key to the intended players using a channel that will not expose it to unwanted participants.
- Start the match only after the participants have entered the key and are ready.
Player procedure
- Select the same Battle Royale game mode as the host.
- Select Custom Matchmaking Key.
- Enter the host’s key exactly, preserving capitalization.
- Select the same server region as the host.
- Join before the match starts.
Epic states that no more than 100 players can join a custom-key match. If more than 100 people enter, 100 are selected randomly. A custom key is therefore an access credential, not a guarantee that every person who receives it will be admitted when the limit is exceeded.
Where to change Matchmaking Region
Matchmaking Region is in the Creative Game Menu’s Settings tab. Players can select Auto or a specific region.
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When to use Auto
Auto is the simplest choice for a casual group that does not need a manually coordinated region. The game selects a region based on its available routing. Everyone should still use the same choice when a custom-key host has instructed the party to coordinate settings.
When to select a region manually
Choose a specific region when the host is organizing a custom-key match, when players are seeing inconsistent connection behavior, or when the group needs a predictable server location. A region closer to the players generally improves response time, but the whole party must use the same region for Epic’s custom-key workflow.
Private Creative island versus Battle Royale custom key
| Decision point | Published island code plus Island Matchmaking Privacy | Epic Battle Royale custom key |
|---|---|---|
| Game type | Creative island | Battle Royale custom match |
| Host eligibility | No creator-program requirement is stated for using the island privacy setting | Host must be active in an eligible Epic creator program |
| Access credential | Published island code | Case-sensitive key with 4–16 characters and no special characters |
| Privacy control | Island Matchmaking Privacy set to Private; access is restricted to the party | Possession of the custom key, plus the correct mode and region |
| Region requirement | Use the same region or Auto for a consistent party setup | Host and every participant must use the same server region |
| Timing | Players enter through the island workflow; late joining depends on Join in Progress | Key must be entered before the match starts |
| Player limit documented in the supplied Epic guidance | Creative documentation lists 32 as a documented maximum-player value for a matchmaking session | No more than 100 players can join; if more than 100 enter, 100 are selected randomly |
Use the island-code route when the event is built as a Creative island with devices, custom rules, or rounds. Use the custom-key route when the event is an Epic Battle Royale custom match and the host satisfies the creator-program requirement.
Troubleshooting private and code-based matches
Matchmaking will not start
- Open Island Settings and verify that Teams is not set to Custom with Team Size set to Dynamic.
- Choose a fixed Team Size for custom teams.
- Check Max Players against the number of people trying to enter.
- Confirm that the island is published if you are relying on Auto Start behavior other than Off.
- If Auto Start is Off, start the private game manually.
A player cannot join the island
- Confirm the island’s privacy mode is the one the host intended.
- For Private, verify that the player is in the host’s party.
- Compare the island code character by character.
- Check that both players are using the same matchmaking region or the agreed Auto setting.
- Review Join in Progress if the game has already started.
A custom-key player is rejected
- Make sure the player selected Battle Royale, not a Creative island mode.
- Re-enter the key with exact capitalization; custom keys are case sensitive.
- Confirm the key has 4–16 characters and no special characters.
- Verify that the player selected the host’s server region.
- Enter the key before the match begins; Epic’s workflow does not allow adding it after the match has started.
- Check whether the 100-player limit has been reached.
The portal opens the wrong island
- Verify the destination code saved on the portal.
- Inspect Code Override Allowed and remove an unintended override path.
- Check cooldown and reset settings.
- Set Join Option to Private Only when public joins must be blocked.
Late joiners appear in the wrong place
Open Island Settings → Game Start Settings → Join in Progress. Select Spawn, Spectate, Spawn on Next Round, or a specific team number according to the event’s rules. A setting that is appropriate for a casual drop-in session can be disruptive in a round-based competition.
A reliable pre-match checklist
- Island is in Create mode while settings are edited.
- Island Settings, not personal Game Settings, contains the privacy change.
- Island Matchmaking Privacy is Private for party-only Creative play.
- Teams and Team Size are compatible; Custom teams use a fixed Team Size.
- Max Players, Total Rounds, Auto Start, and Join in Progress match the event plan.
- The island is published when an island code or published-island Auto Start behavior is required.
- Portal destination code, Join Option, code override, cooldown, and reset behavior have been tested.
- Everyone has the same matchmaking region, or everyone has agreed to Auto.
- Battle Royale custom-key hosts meet the creator-program requirement.
- Custom-key players use the exact case-sensitive 4–16-character key before the match starts.
- The expected player count is within the relevant Creative session value or the 100-player custom-key limit.
Final setup choice
For a private Fortnite Creative event, set Island Matchmaking Privacy to Private, keep the invited players in the same party, and configure Structure and Game Start Settings before sharing the published island code. If you route players through a portal, set its destination carefully and use Private Only when appropriate. For Epic’s Battle Royale custom-match system, use a 4–16-character case-sensitive key, coordinate one server region, and have every participant enter it before the match begins.
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