Kegan MooneyIf you’ve been keeping up with the latest gaming industry news over the past couple of years, you will undoubtedly have noticed it’s facing some pretty worrying times. From indie companies to some of the biggest gaming studios on the planet, nobody has been exempt from these issues and the loss of jobs they have caused.
The latest round of layoffs comes from one of the biggest studios out there, Epic Games. Tim Sweeney, the company’s CEO, announced today that they have let go of more than 1,000 employees following a massive drop in players engaging in their most popular game, Fortnite.
In a post sent out to Epic employees today, Sweeney said: “Today we’re laying off over 1000 Epic employees. I’m sorry we’re here again. The downturn in Fortnite engagement that started in 2025 means we’re spending significantly more than we’re making, and we have to make major cuts to keep the company funded. This layoff, together with over $500 million of identified cost savings in contracting, marketing, and closing some open roles, puts us in a more stable place.”
The layoffs are now Epic’s second round of layoffs in the past three years, with the company looking to reduce its outgoings and weather the current storm that the gaming industry is facing. Last year, we saw major studios such as EA and Ubisoft facing the same issues, with hundreds of employees let go, and projects cancelled to cut costs, with Epic Games being the latest in a worrying trend that doesn’t bode well for the gaming industry, and gamers alike.
We wish all those impacted by today’s news the very best and hope that they make a quick recovery during these worrying times.
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