Friend request pop-ups prevent opening the pause menu and can block in-game controls when spammed

Summary

Friend request pop-ups prevent opening the pause menu and can block in-game controls when spammed

Please select what you are reporting on:

Unreal Editor for Fortnite

What Type of Bug are you experiencing?

Other

Steps to Reproduce

Join a match in Fortnite Creative/UEFN.
Receive a friend request during gameplay.
Attempt to press ESC to open the pause menu.
The friend request overlay takes priority and prevents the pause menu from opening.
If multiple friend requests are received in quick succession, the issue persists continuously.

Expected Result

Players should still be able to open the pause menu and access in-game options regardless of incoming friend request notifications.

Observed Result

When a friend request appears, the ESC pause menu cannot be opened properly. The request overlay blocks input until it disappears.
If friend requests are spammed, players become effectively unable to open menus or leave the match normally, forcing a game restart to regain control.

Platform(s)

ALL

Island Code

N/A

Additional Notes

This becomes a serious usability issue when friend requests are sent in rapid succession, as it can fully block access to core UI functions like the pause menu. In extreme cases, it could be exploited to disrupt gameplay by preventing players from leaving matches or accessing menus, forcing a full game restart to recover control.

In this video, it can be seen that I can open and close the chat normally until I receive a friend request. This issue also affects most of the game’s menus. If you try to open them while a friend request is on screen, it won’t let you.

If a player acts maliciously and sends multiple friend requests continuously, it can completely prevent you from doing anything in the game. You are forced to restart the game in order to leave the match.

https://youtu.be/rgnJvNDrIaE