Fewer People Playing Fortnite Is Just One of Epic’s Many Problems, Analysts Say

This week, Epic Games announced one of the largest rounds of layoffs the video games industry has ever faced, with more than 1,000 staff told they were out of work in one devastating morning. Fans of Fortnite, which remains one of the biggest games in the world, were blindsided by the news. But no one was more shocked than the employees themselves — some of whom had dedicated a decade of their lives to Epic and Fortnite, and established the breakout battle royale as a global phenomenon.

Days later, the scale of the layoffs is still sinking in. Alongside the many veteran developers now looking for work via social media, those who remain have said they simply don’t know how Fortnite will look later this year and beyond with almost a quarter of the company’s staff, including several key figures, no longer present.

But while there’s no mistaking the truly stunning scope of Epic Games’ decision, analysts have said that some form of cost-reduction — likely layoffs — was inevitable. Announcing the news this week, Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney blamed rising development costs and a downturn in player interest in Fortnite through 2025. But, speaking to IGN, analysts