“Why Work Hard At Epic?” Faliszek Asks After 1,000 Layoffs
Former Valve writer Chet Faliszek has launched a sharp attack on Epic Games and CEO Tim Sweeney following the company’s latest round of cuts, which he says cost about 1,000 people their jobs. In a TikTok posted after the news, Faliszek questioned why anyone at Epic would “work hard” when, in his view, the company can “just lay off 1,000 people” and keep moving.
“Can someone explain this to me?” he says. “Why anybody who works at Epic should work hard? Cause Epic just laid off 1,000 people.” He goes on to claim Epic “is gonna shut down Fortnite Rocket Racing, Ballistic and Festival Battle stage, whatever that is,” before adding, “Who knows?”
@chetfaliszek ♬ original sound - chetfaliszek
Epic didn’t respond to the TikTok directly, but Sweeney has previously argued that other studios could now hire “high-quality” talent coming out of Epic—a line that landed poorly with many developers online.
Agency, Ownership, And A Valve Contrast
Faliszek’s criticism centers on a loss of agency. “You just make one game,” he says of Epic’s Fortnite-first focus. “If you work there, maybe you really love that game. But how do you have any agency? How do you have any ownership when you’re just gonna get laid off like this?”