- Fortnite developer Epic Games lays off more than 1,000 employees
- This was confirmed by a memo sent to staff written by CEO Tim Sweeney
- “I’m sorry we’re here again,” Sweeney wrote.
Fortnite Developer Epic Games has announced that it will lay off more than 1,000 employees.
A memo written by founder and CEO Tim Sweeney sent out to staff confirmed the developer will cut more than 1,000 jobs. “I’m sorry we’re here again,” he wrote.
He blamed a “downturn in Fortnite commitment” for the decision, saying the company was now spending “significantly more” than it was bringing in.
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Broader economic factors such as the games industry’s recent slower growth and the weaker penetration of current-generation consoles, in addition to stiff competition from other forms of entertainment, were also fingered as reasons. Interestingly, Sweeney specifically clarifies that the layoff is not “AI related,” as some may fear, and said the company wants to “have as many great developers” as it can.
It comes alongside $500 million worth of identified cost savings, focusing on contracting, marketing and closing open roles.
This news comes just weeks after Epic Games announced that it would raise the cost of Fortnite in-game currency V-Bucks to “help pay the bills”. The new prices came into effect on March 19, 2026, and mean that a standard purchase of $8.99 only yields 800 V-Bucks instead of the previous 1,000.
“The cost of running Fortnite has increased greatly,” the company noted in its blog post at the time.
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