Epic Games Layoffs 2026: Epic Games sent a note to its employees on Tuesday that started with "Today we’re laying off over 1000 Epic employees." This is definitely not something someone wants to look at in their mail. This announcement from the game maker comes against the backdrop of declining engagement of their most popularly known game, Fortnite, since 2025, and in its note to the employees, the company mentions, "We're spending significantly more than we're making." In this note from Chief Executive Tim Sweeney, he said the layoffs, combined with over $500 million in savings driven by reduced spending on contracting and marketing, along with keeping some roles vacant, are set to lower overall costs.
ALSO READ: Redmi Note 15 SE 5G Coming To India On April 2: Here’s What To Expect
The layoff note mentions several challenges that the company is facing at the current moment that have led it to take this decision; the company cited concerns such as slower growth, weaker spending, and decreased sales of consoles as compared to their previous generations. Although in the note it is also mentioned that these layoffs have nothing to do with AI, "Since it's a thing now, I should note that the layoffs aren't related to AI," the note states.
This layoff is Epic's second major layoff in the past three years; in 2023 the company laid off 830 employees.
Earlier in the month, Google agreed to lower its fees levied on its Android app store, and this would bring an end to the long-lasting legal battle that has been fought over the company's tactics to maintain its illegal monopoly, which has been condemned through several rulings. This fresh set of changes placed before a San Francisco federal court signals another turn in a dispute that first surfaced in August 2020. The case began when Epic Games accused Google of stifling competition, arguing that developers should have more freedom to use alternative payment systems instead of relying on the Play Store, which levies commissions of 15 to 30 percent on in-app purchases.
This latest shift follows a setback for Google at the Supreme Court of the United States around five months ago, when the court declined to review its appeal. That appeal sought to overturn a prior ruling that mandated broader reforms to the Play Store after a 2023 trial, where a jury determined the platform’s structure amounted to an illegal monopoly.