Epic Games layoffs included employee with terminal brain cancer

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Epic Games recently laid off more than 1,000 workers. Sadly, one of those affected was an employee already battling terminal brain cancer, and they are now having difficulty securing a new life insurance policy.

Epic Games announced on March 25, 2026, that it was cutting over 1,000 jobs company-wide because fewer people were playing Fortnite.

The layoffs really hit hard, even people who’d been with the company forever got affected. It was crazy to see someone who actually created Jonesy – you know, basically the mascot of Fortnite – lose their job. It just felt…wrong.

Mike Prinke, a programmer who worked at the company for more than six years, was also affected by the layoffs. His partner, Jenni Griffin, shared on Facebook how this job loss is impacting their family, as Prinke looks for new work and deals with losing his health and life insurance.

Epic Games layoffs impacted employee with terminal brain cancer

Griffin shared on Facebook that her husband, Mike, lost his job as part of a large layoff at Epic Games, impacting over a thousand employees. This news is particularly difficult for their family because Mike is also battling terminal brain cancer.

Losing a stable income is already difficult, but as Griffin pointed out, it also means losing health insurance. To make matters worse, his cancer is classified as a pre-existing condition, making it impossible to get new insurance coverage.

With tumors actively causing bleeding in Mike’s brain, we should be focusing on making the most of our remaining time with him. Sadly, we’re instead caught up in the urgent task of sorting out life insurance.

On top of dealing with a lack of support, Griffin is also struggling to afford a funeral or burial and facing other difficult challenges. She believes that if Epic Games understood the full extent of the harm caused by their decision, they wouldn’t have made it.

“He really gave everything to keep our family protected only to be laid off.”

Kotaku confirmed with Griffin that Prinke’s health issues were well-known within Epic Games. According to Griffin, “Everyone he worked with knew.”

Tim Sweeney, the CEO of Epic Games, responded to discussions about starting a GoFundMe to help with medical bills and costs related to a recent loss.

Epic is working directly with the family to resolve their insurance coverage. Please know that medical information is kept strictly confidential and played no role in the decision to let them go. We sincerely apologize for not anticipating this difficult situation and addressing it sooner.

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) March 29, 2026

We are in touch with the family,” he said. “Epic is dedicated to finding a resolution for them.

Medical privacy wasn’t a reason for the layoffs. We apologize for not understanding how upsetting this situation was and addressing it sooner.

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2026-03-30 04:49