- Epic Games plans to cut over 1,000 jobs to reduce costs amid financial strain
- Mike Prinke, a programmer with terminal brain cancer, lost life insurance in layoffs
- His wife publicly appealed for help, highlighting the family's dire financial situation
Last week, Epic Games revealed plans to cut more than 1,000 jobs in a bid to "keep the company funded." Among those affected was Mike Prinke, a programmer who had worked at the Fortnite developer for nearly seven years. Over the weekend, his wife, Jenni Griffin, shared a Facebook post explaining that Prinke is battling terminal brain cancer and, as a result of the layoffs, would lose his life insurance coverage. Griffin acknowledged that the layoffs had been difficult for many employees but said her family's situation was particularly dire given her husband's condition.
"My husband, Mike, was recently laid off along with over a thousand others at Epic Games. What makes this different for our family is that Mike is currently fighting terminal brain cancer. Because of the layoff, we didn't just lose income—we lost his life insurance. And because his condition is now considered a pre-existing condition, he can't get new coverage," she wrote in a post on Facebook.
To underline the severity of his illness, Griffin shared an MRI scan showing an aggressive tumor in the frontal lobe, while appealing to company executives for help.
"So now, as I face the reality of losing my husband… I'm also facing the reality of what type of funeral/burial I can afford. How I will keep a roof over our heads. How I will protect our son and the life we built together. What will happen to our dogs. I truly believe that if the people who made this decision understood the full human impact, they would not have intended this outcome," she added.
The situation quickly drew attention online, prompting a response from Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney. Writing on X, he said the company was in touch with the family and working to resolve the insurance issue. He also emphasised that medical conditions are kept confidential and played no role in the layoff decision.
"Epic is in contact with the family and will solve the insurance for them. There is high confidentiality around medical information, and it was not a factor in this layoff decision. Sorry to everyone for not recognizing this terribly painful situation and handling it in advance," Sweeney wrote on X.
See the post here:
The episode has triggered widespread backlash within the gaming community, with many calling the layoffs insensitive and pointing to the human impact behind corporate cost-cutting.
The cuts come as Epic trims roughly 20% of its workforce, around 1,000 employees, amid financial strain, citing rising expenses and declining engagement with Fortnite. Affected workers were offered severance packages that included at least four months of base pay and extended healthcare benefits.
