Mass industry cuts

Game companies have cut hundreds of jobs in 2026, with Epic alone eliminating more than 1,000 roles on March 24. (epicgames.com) Epic chief executive Tim Sweeney said the company was cutting staff after a 2025 downturn in Fortnite engagement left it “spending significantly more than we’re making.” He said the company had also identified more than $500 million in savings across contracting, marketing, and unfilled roles. (epicgames.com) Electronic Arts made a separate round of cuts on March 9 across the Battlefield 6 group, including DICE in Sweden, Criterion in the United Kingdom, Ripple Effect in California, and Motive in Canada. EA did not give a headcount, and said only that it had made “select changes” while continuing to invest in Battlefield. (gamesindustry.biz) Ubisoft cut 105 jobs at Red Storm Entertainment on March 19 and ended game development at the North Carolina studio. The office will stay open to support the Snowdrop engine, information technology, and customer relations work. (gamesindustry.biz) Crystal Dynamics cut 20 employees on March 19 across development and central operations. The Tomb Raider studio said the move followed a review of team structures and came after three rounds of layoffs in 2025. (gamesindustry.biz) The cuts have hit studios tied to three of the business’s biggest models: live-service games, annual or tentpole shooters, and large single-player franchises. Epic pointed to weaker spending and lower console sales, while Ubisoft tied Red Storm’s cuts to a companywide plan to save €200 million. (epicgames.com) (gamesindustry.biz) The pattern has also undercut the idea that a hit game protects teams from retrenchment. Battlefield 6 sold more than seven million units in its first three days and became the best-selling game in the United States in 2025, but EA still cut staff across the franchise’s studio network in March. (gamesindustry.biz) Studios have paired the cuts with public assurances that key projects will continue. Crystal Dynamics said it remains committed to its announced Tomb Raider games, and EA said Battlefield remains “one of our biggest priorities.” (gamesindustry.biz 1) (gamesindustry.biz 2) The layoffs are also landing unevenly inside companies. Epic said affected workers would get at least four months of base pay and, in the United States, six months of paid healthcare coverage; Ubisoft said Red Storm staff would receive severance and support; Crystal Dynamics said it would provide severance and job placement assistance. (epicgames.com) (gamesindustry.biz 1) (gamesindustry.biz 2) By mid-April, GamesIndustry.biz’s 2026 layoff tracker was still adding new entries, including Eidos-Montréal, Polyarc, and other studios beyond the biggest publishers. The result is a year in which cuts are no longer confined to one struggling company or one canceled game. (gamesindustry.biz)