Epic’s mobile bet wobbles
Following mass layoffs, Epic has reportedly closed Fortnite modes like Ballistic and Rocket Racing, and insiders say the company’s mobile store has underperformed, with annual third‑party spending around $400 million ( ). Multiple outlets report Epic is now developing a Disney‑licensed extraction shooter aimed at 2026 release as part of its recovery strategy ( ).
Epic Games is reworking its games business after cuts, canceled Fortnite modes, and a mobile store push that has produced mixed results. (epicgames.com; rockpapershotgun.com) Epic said on September 28, 2023 that it was laying off 830 employees, about 16 percent of its workforce, after “spending way more money than we earn.” The company also said it would divest Bandcamp and spin off most of SuperAwesome. (epicgames.com; ign.com) In late March 2026, Epic support pages said Fortnite’s Ballistic and Festival Battle Stage would go offline on April 16, 2026, and Rocket Racing would be removed in October 2026. Epic linked those retirements to a Fortnite Status post, and outside reports tied the cuts to weak engagement and broader retrenchment. (epicgames.com; shacknews.com) The mobile-store piece of Epic’s strategy is easier to understand if you separate phones from personal computers: Epic’s public “Year in Review” numbers cover personal-computer store spending, not the full mobile business. On February 3, 2026, Epic said third-party personal-computer game spending on Epic Games Store rose 57 percent in 2025 to a record $400 million. (store.epicgames.com) That $400 million figure sounds large, but it sits beside a much bigger rival. In Epic’s own 2024 review, the company said third-party spending through Epic Payments was $255 million in 2024, while total spending including Epic’s own games was $1.09 billion. (store.epicgames.com) Epic has also kept betting on Disney. On February 7, 2024, Disney said it would invest $1.5 billion for an equity stake in Epic as part of a multiyear plan to build a new games and entertainment universe connected to Fortnite and Disney franchises. (thewaltdisneycompany.com) Multiple outlets reported on April 11 and April 12, 2026 that Epic is now developing a Disney-licensed extraction shooter, a format built around entering a map, collecting gear, and escaping alive with it. IGN said the reported game is targeted for 2026, while Rock Paper Shotgun said Bloomberg’s report cast it as part of Epic’s recovery plan. (ign.com; rockpapershotgun.com) Epic has not publicly announced that shooter on its own channels, and Disney’s public statements still describe the partnership in broader terms. That leaves the current picture as a company trimming underused Fortnite experiments while trying to turn a $1.5 billion Disney alliance and a still-growing store into its next phase. (thewaltdisneycompany.com; store.epicgames.com)
