Game developer Epic Games has announced a significant workforce reduction, laying off over 1,000 employees. The company primarily attributes this large-scale restructuring to "Fortnite"'s performance falling short of expectations in recent years. While the battle royale title remains one of the world's most influential games, Epic stated that declining player engagement and stagnant revenue growth have pressured operations, necessitating these structural adjustments.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney confirmed the layoffs in an internal message to staff. He stated that the cuts would impact more than 1,000 employees and acknowledged the operational challenges the company has faced over the past year.
Sweeney pointed out that "Fortnite" player engagement has declined since 2025, causing the company's expenses to exceed its income. This forced Epic to implement substantial cost reductions. "We are laying off over 1,000 Epic employees, and I'm sorry that we are once again in this situation," Sweeney said. "Since 2025, declining 'Fortnite' engagement has meant our expenses far exceed our revenue, and we must make significant adjustments to keep the company funded."
Sweeney also indicated that these layoffs, combined with cuts to outsourcing and marketing expenditures, as well as a freeze on certain job openings, are expected to save over $500 million and stabilize the company's future operations. However, this marks Epic's second major round of layoffs since 2024, signaling ongoing adjustments to the company's strategic direction in recent years.
In addition to the workforce reductions, "Fortnite" game content will also undergo changes. Epic announced that game modes such as Rocket Racing, Ballistic, and Battle Stage will no longer be supported. These modes were introduced over the past few years to expand "Fortnite"'s gameplay offerings, allowing players to experience different genres beyond battle royale. However, these additions failed to attract sufficient player numbers, ultimately leading Epic to discontinue them. 
In recent years, Epic has attempted to diversify "Fortnite" through various initiatives, including brand collaborations and the introduction of cross-genre gameplay. However, some of this new content did not achieve the anticipated success. Previously, Epic also increased V-Bucks prices, which sparked player backlash and was seen by many as a sign of "Fortnite"'s slowing growth.
Despite these changes, Epic emphasized that "Fortnite"'s core modes, including the classic Battle Royale and Zero Build, will continue to be central to its future development. Furthermore, popular modes like "Fortnite OG," "LEGO Fortnite," and "Fortnite Festival" will remain operational and are not expected to be affected in the short term.
Epic stated that it will focus more on content with high player engagement and long-term development strategies moving forward. While "Fortnite" still boasts a massive player base, the increasing market competition makes re-energizing player engagement and revenue performance a critical challenge for Epic.
via： Comicbook.com