{"id":564365,"date":"2026-03-25T23:30:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T23:30:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/564365\/"},"modified":"2026-03-25T23:30:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T23:30:09","slug":"fortnite-owner-epic-games-knocks-over-1000-jobs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/564365\/","title":{"rendered":"Fortnite owner Epic Games knocks over 1,000 jobs"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Redundancies<\/a> have stormed the\u00a0Fortnite maker Epic Games once again, resulting in the loss of 1,000 jobs.<\/p>\n

Tim Sweeney, Chief Executive Officer of Epic Games<\/a>, confirmed the layoffs, citing a decline in player numbers and broader cost pressures.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis 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,\u201d Sweeney said.<\/p>\n

Fortnite under pressure<\/p>\n

The cuts follow a reduction<\/a> of more than 800 roles in 2023, highlighting continued challenges across the business.<\/p>\n

Once one of the most popular battle royale games, Sweeney pointed to a mix of industry-wide pressures, including increased competition and reduced consumer spending, but also acknowledged issues specific to Fortnite.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite Fortnite remaining one of the most successful games in the world, we\u2019ve had challenges delivering consistent Fortnite magic with every season,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Tim Sweeney added that the company is still in the early stages of returning to mobile and optimising the game for a global smartphone audience<\/p>\n

He added that the company is still in the early stages of returning to mobile and optimising the game for a global smartphone audience.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re only in the early stages of returning to mobile and optimizing Fortnite for the world\u2019s billions of smartphones; and in being the industry\u2019s vanguard we have taken a lot of bullets in a battle which is only in the early days of paying off for ourselves and all developers,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

Not an AI-driven move<\/p>\n

Sweeney clarified that the layoffs are not related to artificial intelligence, with affected employees receiving severance packages including four months\u2019 pay and, for US-based staff, six months of healthcare.<\/p>\n

There were earlier signs of pressure when Epic raised the price of V-Bucks, Fortnite\u2019s in-game currency, to pay the operational bills.<\/p>\n

At the same time, the company confirmed it will wind down several game modes, including Rocket Racing, Ballistic and the Fortnite Festival \u201cbattle stage\u201d, while keeping its core Festival experience online.<\/p>\n

Industry-wide shakeout<\/p>\n

Epic\u2019s cuts reflect a broader shakeout across the live-service gaming sector, which has seen a wave of layoffs and shutdowns in recent weeks.<\/p>\n

Free-to-play shooter Highguard has been shut down, EA has cut developers on Battlefield 6, Riot Games has reduced staff on its upcoming fighter 2XKO, and Remedy has ended updates for its team shooter FBC: Firebreak.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarket conditions today are the most extreme we\u2019ve seen since our early days,\u201d Sweeney said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019re aiming to do for our players, and we aim to bring other like-minded developers along on the journey to build an increasingly open and vibrant future of entertainment together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Top Image:\u00a0Fortnite<\/p>\n

Keep on top of the most important media, marketing, and agency news each day with the Mediaweek Morning Report \u2013 delivered for free every morning to your inbox.<\/a><\/p>\n