The BattlEye Anti-Cheat software that many games (including Fortnite) use to keep the cheaters away from the game appears to be having issues with the latest version of Windows 10.

Microsoft rolled out an update today to Windows 10 version 1903 (KB4497935) which has an incompatibility issue with the older versions of Battle Eye service engine and hence displays either of the following errors when launching a game:

  • “Failed to start BattlEye Service”
  • “Failed to initialize BattlEye Service”

BattlEye’s incompatibility with Windows 10 version 1903 is also the reason why many users are getting a “Driver or service not ready to upgrade” error when trying to update their PCs to Windows 10 May 2019 update.

Thankfully, BattlEye developers have fixed the incompatibility issue with Windows 10 version 1903 and have released a new version of the software which is being pushed alongside game updates.

How to fix “Failed to start BattlEye Service” error

BattlEye Service error in Windows 10 can be fixed by updating the game, reinstalling the software, or by restarting your PC.

  • Verify that your game is up to date

    Make you have the latest version of the game (which is displaying the error) installed on your PC. BattlEye developers have released a compatibility update for Windows 10 version 1903 alongside game updates for the affected games. So be sure to install any pending update available for your game.

    If your game platform allows, try to re-validate the game’s installation files as well after installing the latest version.

  • Restart your PC

    If you have the updated the game to the latest version but still getting the BattlEye error, try restarting your PC and then open the game again.

  • Uninstall BattlEye manually

    Use the official BattlEye uninstaller (linked below) to uninstall BattlEye anti-cheat engine from your PC. Your game wouldn’t work without it, but will reinstall the latest version of the software when you launch the game.

    → Download BattlEye uninstaller (UninstallBE.exe)

    Run the UninstallBE.exe file and follow the on-screen instructions to remove the software from your system.

  • Uninstall and reinstall your game

    If nothing works, you probably need to uninstall and reinstall the game on your system.

We hope you’re able to resolve the BattlEye service issue on your PC following the tips shared on this page. If not, be sure to let us know in the comments section below.