Epic Games has announced layoffs affecting around 1,000 employees as part of a cost-cutting move. Among those impacted is Evan Kinney, a Principal Engineer who was with the company for nearly nine years and worked closely on Fortnite's development.

A long association with Fortnite

Kinney, who joined Epic Games early in Fortnite's journey, rose from Senior Software Engineer to Principal Engineer over the years. He was involved in building several core systems for the game and its engine, contributing to multiple updates, live events, and features.

Also Read | Who is Robin Liu? OnePlus India CEO quits amid falling market share

Sharing his reaction on LinkedIn, Kinney said he was taken aback by the decision. "I'm still kind of shell-shocked and trying to figure everything out, but for some reason I was included in the layoffs at Epic today. Been there almost 9 years," he wrote.

Kinney highlighted that he had consistently received positive feedback from leadership and peers. He said he was often seen as a key contributor to Fortnite's success and had played a role in shaping important systems within the game.

"I've shipped so many integral systems for Fortnite/the engine itself and was constantly counted by leadership and my peers among the people most impactful to the success of our games. I've been there since the beginning. To say I'm confused is an understatement," he wrote.

Work beyond expectations

In posts shared on X, Kinney described the level of effort he had put into his role. He spoke about working late nights, weekends, and even continuing to contribute while recovering from pneumonia.

"I have done so much for this company and our games. So many late nights. So many weekends. So many live events, and competitive events, and new features, and new seasons," he wrote.

He also pointed to strong performance reviews throughout his tenure. "Solid performance reviews every time, with multiple people mentioning how critical I am and what an impact I make across multiple teams. Just to be thrown out, I don't get it," he said.

Also Read | What is NHAI’s AI dashcam monitoring and how will it improve road safety

The layoffs come as Epic Games looks to cut costs amid a reported decline in Fortnite engagement since 2025, as cited by CEO Tim Sweeney.