The Epic Games layoffs are hitting the Fortnite competitive scene hard. According to a Twitter thread from Fortnite Esports Operations Manager Jasmine Alson posted on Sep. 30, the layoffs have included several key behind-the-scenes workers in the ecosystem. To make matters worse, it seems the players that they were previously working for are actively trolling those who have been laid off.
In October, Epic Games will host the FNCS Global Championship in Copenhagen. There are likely already set in place and are solid plans to execute in terms of deliverables and the event itself. However, both the news of the layoffs and the attitude of the players are deflating, to say the least.
“These are the same players who I see trolling my coworkers who just lost their livelihoods, their financial security, and much more. The same players who are angry with us that we made a typo. It’s so absolutely demoralizing,” Alson said on social media.
Being laid off is hard, and gamers often lack empathy towards the people who make the games they play. While no game developer is perfect, it just doesn’t make sense to celebrate when the ecosystem that pays your bills is actively downsizing, no matter your personal feelings toward any of the workers affected.
The show will go on, as Alson says, with a massive tournament in Denmark soon to follow. However, it will be missing so many people who contributed substantial chunks of their finite time on Earth toward making the Fortnite competitive series what it is today. Let’s hope hearts soften on the players’ side and that everyone laid off finds new work soon.
