- Primary Subject: Fortnite Modes Shutting Down, Epic Games' Mass Layoffs
- Key Update: Epic Games has announced that multiple Fortnite modes will shut down, and several staff members have been laid off
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: March 24, 2026
- Quick Answer: To cut costs, Epic has decided to shut down multiple Fortnite modes and lay off over 1k employees
In a surprise announcement, Epic Games announced major changes for Fortnite, both in-game and behind the scenes, in an attempt to cut costs and put the company "in a more stable place."
For starters, Epic will be sunsetting three major Fortnite modes: Rocket Racing, Ballistic, and Festival Battle Stage. As explained in the official post, these modes have failed to retain a high player base, becoming part of the cut content in this company-wide stepback.
Ballistic, the Valorant-style FPS shooter mode, and Fortnite Battle Stage, one of the modes available in Fortnite Festival, will go offline on April 16 with the release of patch 40.20.
On the other hand, Rocket Racing, the racing mode with Rocket League cars that launched alongside LEGO Fortnite and Festival at the end of 2023, will be removed in October 2026, along with all the islands created for this mode.
Outside the game, Epic is reducing its workforce by laying off more than 1,000 employees effective immediately."I'm sorry we're here again," expressed Tim Sweeney, Epic Games' current CEO, in a letter sent to his employees today.
"The downturn in Fortnite engagement that started in 2025 means we're spending significantly more than we're making, and we have to make major cuts to keep the company funded. This layoff, together with over $500 million of identified cost savings in contracting, marketing, and closing some open roles puts us in a more stable place."
Many developers affected by the layoffs have shared their reactions on social media, with Evan Kinney, the Principal Engineer who dealt with LAN patches and Competitive-related updates being among them.
This big restructuring inside the game and the company came just two weeks after Epic announced a controversial price increase in VBucks, the in-game currency. Players weren't happy about this change, but the company stated at the time that "the cost of running Fortnite has gone up a lot and we’re raising prices to help pay the bills."
Amidst the restructuring and layoffs, users online are also bringing up a 2025 interview on PC Gamer, where Tim Sweeney talked about the billions Epic is spending in its legal battle with Apple and Google, centered on their closed ecosystem and the mandatory 30% fee applied to all developers. This is part of the reason why Fortnite has been struggling to fully return to mobile devices globally.
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