Yesterday, Epic Games laid off more than 1,000 workers, citing struggles with “slower growth, weaker spending, and tougher cost economics.” These cuts came just days after the company announced it would be raising the price of Fortnite’s V-Bucks for the first time in years.
In the blog post announcing the lay-offs, Epic Games’ CEO, Tim Sweeney, said, “It is very painful to part with so many talented people,” and talented people it has indeed parted with. This includes the creator of some of the game’s most iconic characters, including the face of Fortnite, Jonesy, who is now out of work.
Jonesy’s Creator Is One Of Many, Many Devs Out Of Work Following Epic Games Lay-Offs
Vitaliy Naymushin created Jonesy, Fortnite’s mascot, as well as other recognizable characters such as Ramirez, Kyle, and Penny. If you’ve played Fortnite, or watched any of its bombastic trailers for new seasons, you’ll have seen his work. Sadly, that kind of talent and prestige gets you nowhere in today’s world, and Naymushin is now looking for work.
In a post on his LinkedIn page, Naymushin said, “Well this is weird. After 11 years I find that I no longer work at Epic. It’s been a wild ride, lots of ups and downs. Seeing Fortnite from pre-launch to today and being a part of making that happen was an experience of a lifetime.
“Seeing lots of similar posts out there and I hope that everyone impacted by the layoff lands on their feet. Best of luck to all the folks remaining at Epic. I am now open to work.”
Another of those laid off was Evan Kinney, principal engineer at Epic Games. Kinney helped shape some of the game’s earliest live events, its replay mode, and its upcoming rivalry system, as well as matchmaking and security.
Sweeney later tweeted that, “An important thing to understand is that Epic never lowered our hiring standards as we grew,” and that, “It’s a sound bet that anyone with Epic Games on their resume is in the top few percent of their discipline.” That certainly seems to be the case here.
- Released
-
September 26, 2017
- ESRB
-
T for Teen – Diverse Content: Discretion Advised, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
