The creator of Fortnite has laid off more than 1,000 staff
Huge cuts announced this week show that truly no developer working in games is safe from corporate whims
TL;DR
- Epic Games is laying off over 1,000 employees, adding to recent industry-wide job losses.
- CEO Tim Sweeney stated the company is spending more than it makes, despite Fortnite's success and high revenue.
- Reasons cited include a downturn in Fortnite engagement, industry-wide challenges, and high costs from legal actions against Google and Apple.
- The article criticizes the gaming industry's focus on "live service" multiplayer games and a growth-at-all-costs mentality.
- The author suggests that poor leadership and a history of boom-and-bust cycles are endemic to the industry.
- Developers often bear the brunt of these corporate decisions, despite their talent and dedication.