Fortnite’s Original Jonesy Designer Among Epic’s Major Studio Layoffs

Epic Games laid off about 1,000 Fortnite-studio employees as part of a $500 million cost-savings plan, including Vitaliy Naymushin, the long-time designer of Jonesy who led Fortnite’s character art; Epic cited a downturn in engagement since 2025, announced project shutdowns, V-Bucks price increases, and at least four months of severance plus six months of health coverage for affected workers, with the studio’s headcount falling to around 4,000.