Former Valve writer Chet Faliszek, who left the company in 2017 and whose credits include Half-Life 2, Portal, Team Fortress 2, and Left 4 Dead, has taken aim at Epic over the latest round of layoffs that put over 1000 people out of work. His criticism goes beyond the job cuts themselves, striking at what he sees as a fundamental disconnect between how Epic's leadership frames the situation and the actual reality facing laid-off workers.
In a TikTok post, Faliszek questioned why anybody should work hard at Epic, noting the company is not publicly traded and has no shareholder pressures to meet, implying the decision rests with CEO Tim Sweeney. He asked on the platform why workers should put in effort when Epic just laid off 1000 people and is shutting down Fortnite Rocket Racing, Ballistic, and Festival Battle Stage.
The criticism stems partly from how Epic CEO Tim Sweeney cited a downturn in Fortnite engagement that began in 2025 as a key driver of the cuts. Sweeney told employers they would see "a stream of resumes of once-in-a-lifetime quality folks," adding that Epic never lowered hiring standards and the layoff "wasn't a performance-based 'rightsizing'" — comments estimated at having a net worth of somewhere between 5 and 9 billion dollars. The tone-deaf framing sparked widespread pushback from other developers.
Industry figures quickly called out the messaging. A level designer from Arkane Lyon wrote they didn't think Sweeney's comment was the flex he intended it to be, arguing that other companies don't have hiring slots left after Epic fired a thousand people trying to challenge Steam. Michael Douse, Director of Publishing at Larian Studios, described Sweeney's framing as "absolutely LinkedIn brainrot," arguing that saying 'I flooded the market with once-in-a-lifetime talent' simply repackages mass redundancy.
There are legitimate counterarguments to the criticism. Epic is offering severance packages including at least four months of base pay (more based on tenure), extended healthcare coverage, accelerated stock option vesting through January 2027, and extended equity exercise options for up to two years. These terms are more generous than many companies provide. Faliszek himself has been publicly vocal about his time at Valve and game industry perspectives since around 2023 through TikToks and YouTube videos, suggesting he has credibility as an industry observer.
Yet the core tension remains unresolved. This is Epic's second major layoff in three years; the company laid off over 800 employees in September 2023 for essentially the same reason, with Sweeney saying "We've been spending way more money than we earn," though he later said in October 2024 that Epic was "financially sound". The contradiction between claims of financial stability and recurring mass cuts raises questions about either forecasting accuracy or cost management approach.
As more and more developers lose their jobs, the pool of qualified applicants grows larger, making the scarcity of available jobs even tougher. Faliszek's criticism ultimately reflects a broader industry concern: when companies repeatedly cut staff while maintaining they were still making smart business decisions, it signals deeper structural problems. The disconnect isn't really about whether 1000 people are talented. It's about whether the people making the cuts have a coherent strategy, or whether they're managing by crisis.