How To Choose Your Subregion In Fortnite has become one of the most searched questions since Epic Games changed how matchmaking works. You can now pick a preferred location inside your region, and it applies without restarting the game.
In fact, high ping ruins building, editing, and shotgun fights. Therefore, knowing How To Choose Your Subregion In Fortnite matters, especially because Fortnite Update 42.20 added this option to improve latency across regions.
In practice, to learn How To Choose Your Subregion In Fortnite, open Settings, go to the Game tab, and head to Language and Region. There you set a location under Subregion Preference or keep Auto, which Epic recommends for most players.
How To Choose Your Subregion In Fortnite Step By Step
Where Is The Option In Settings?
First, the option lives in Settings, on the Game tab, inside Language and Region. It shows up as a section called Subregion Preference.
Before changing anything, here is what the official Epic Games notes say:
- You can switch subregions in real time, with no game restart.
- Fortnite looks for a match in your preferred subregion first and, if too few players are queuing, widens the search.
- In a party, the preference of the player who starts the queue is the one that counts.
- NA-West, NA-Central, and NA-East merged into a single NA region with several subregions.
- Ranked also uses the new system, but competitive matchmaking stays unchanged for now.
How To Select Your Subserver In Real Time
If you want to know How To Select Your Subserver without hassle, follow the sequence below. Moreover, you can repeat it between matches to compare results.
- First, open Fortnite and go to Settings.
- Next, enter the Game tab and find Language and Region.
- Then, confirm that your matchmaking region is correct.
- After that, pick the location you want to test under Subregion Preference.
- Finally, play a few matches and compare your ping with Auto mode.
Server Selection: Which Subregions Exist Right Now
List Of Available Subregions
Indeed, Server Selection is far more detailed now. Before deciding How To Choose Your Subregion In Fortnite, check the options available at launch:
| Region | Subregions | Options |
| North America | Virginia, Ohio, Iowa, Texas, Mexico, Northern California, Oregon | 7 |
| Europe | Germany, UK, France | 3 |
| Middle East | Bahrain, Mumbai | 2 |
| Brazil | São Paulo | 1 |
| Asia | Tokyo | 1 |
| Oceania | Sydney | 1 |
Epic also says it is exploring more subregions down the road. Therefore, this list may grow with future updates.
What If Your Region Has Only One Subregion?
Brazil, Asia, and Oceania each list a single location at launch. If you are wondering How To Choose Your Subregion In Fortnite there, the answer is simple: there is only one place to pick.
As a result, the gain from switching tends to be smaller in those regions than in North America or Europe. Besides, Auto remains the safest starting point.
Ping Reduction: Is It Worth Leaving Auto Mode?
Does The Subregion Guarantee The Server You Pick?
No. The preference is prioritized, but placement is not guaranteed, and Epic itself warns about side effects:
- Queues may get longer.
- Moreover, match quality and fairness may drop.
- Finally, Ping Reduction is not guaranteed across every match and mode.
When Should You Use The Manual Preference?
The manual preference makes the most sense when your region is correct but your ping swings a lot between matches. In that case, different data centers inside the same region may be the cause.
On the other hand, if your ping is already steady and queues are quick, changing the setting adds more risk than benefit. Therefore, knowing How To Choose Your Subregion In Fortnite also means knowing when to keep Auto.
How To Test Without Fooling Yourself
The closest server on the map does not always deliver the best result, because the path from your ISP to the data center also matters. For that reason, when deciding How To Choose Your Subregion In Fortnite with data, test with a method:
- First, note your ping and packet loss in Auto mode.
- Next, switch to a nearby subregion and play several matches.
- Then, compare the ping inside the match, not just the menu number.
- Finally, watch queue times and go back to Auto if they climb too much.
If your ping stays high anyway, these tips to lower ping can help.
Pro Tips: Fortnite Subregion
- Use Auto as your baseline: it balances queue time, fairness, and latency, so leave it only when you have a clear ping problem.
- Prioritize stability: a steady ping beats a low number that swings from match to match.
- Sync with your party: because the queue follows the preference of whoever starts it, decide beforehand who opens the match.
How To Choose Your Subregion In Fortnite Without Mistakes
Common Mistakes Players Make When Switching Subregions
- Judging by a single match: one good or bad lobby is misleading. Fix: compare several matches at similar times of day.
- Ignoring the queue: saving a few milliseconds while waiting minutes is not worth it. Fix: go back to Auto if the wait grows.
- Blaming only the server: weak Wi-Fi and background downloads weigh more than the gap between two subregions. Fix: use a cable and follow this guide on how to fix Fortnite lag, plus this deeper look at Fortnite high ping.
ExitLag: A Stable Route To The Server You Pick
Picking a subregion decides where the match happens, but the route to it still depends on your connection. That is where ExitLag comes in: it is not a VPN, and it analyzes multiple routes in real time to pick the fastest, most stable one.
With Multipath, packets travel through more than one path, which helps reduce spikes and packet loss in battle royale matches.
After you learn How To Choose Your Subregion In Fortnite, try the ExitLag Download and compare your ping before and after.
All game images used in this blog post belong to Epic Games. They are used for informational and educational purposes only and do not imply endorsement or affiliation with the rights holders.
