Epic Games Will Solve Insurance Issues for Family of a Recently Laid-Off Terminally Ill Employee

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Following recent layoffs at Epic Games that impacted over 1,000 employees, CEO Tim Sweeney is receiving criticism after it was revealed that one of those laid off, Michael Prinke, lost his life insurance and is terminally ill. Prinke, who joined Epic in 2019 as a technical writer and later became a programmer writer, had his family’s situation detailed in a Facebook post by his wife, Jenni Griffin.

Griffin shared that Prinke is battling terminal brain cancer and, due to his recent layoff, the family also lost his life insurance. Following this, Sweeny announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Epic Games is in contact with the family to try and resolve the insurance issues.

We’re in touch with the family to help with their insurance, and we’re working to resolve it for them. Please know that medical information is confidential and didn’t play any role in the layoff decision. We apologize for not anticipating this difficult situation and addressing it sooner.

Soon after, Griffin updated her Facebook post to say they were in contact with the relevant authorities and would provide another update, likely by Tuesday. She also thanked everyone for their support.

Last week, Epic Games announced layoffs, explaining that a decrease in players engaging with Fortnite had caused the company to spend much more money than it was earning. To ensure the company remains financially secure, they’ve implemented significant cuts, including these layoffs, and are also reducing costs by over $500 million through contract adjustments, marketing reductions, and leaving some positions unfilled. These measures are intended to stabilize the company’s finances.

Sweeny acknowledged that the gaming industry is facing some difficulties, including rising costs and a recent decrease in player spending. Looking ahead, Epic Games intends to keep delivering exciting new content and events for Fortnite, with regular seasonal updates to gameplay, story, and live experiences. They also plan to continue developing Unreal Engine 5 and its creator tool, UEFN, paving the way for the future release of Unreal Engine 6.

According to Sweeney, Epic’s next steps are to create exciting new content for Fortnite each season, including gameplay, storylines, and events. They also plan to improve tools for developers, moving forward from Unreal Engine 5 and UEFN to Unreal Engine 6. Epic is gearing up for a major launch of the next generation of its technology later this year.

Sweeny confirmed that laid-off employees will receive a severance package including four months of salary, with additional pay based on how long they’ve worked at the company. They’ll also continue to receive health benefits for six months. In addition, stock options will mature faster – by January 2027 – and employees will have up to two extra years to use those options.

Those still working at Epic Games are focused on continuing development while also expressing support for those who were laid off. Robby Williams, a gameplay producer, shared on social media that teams will need to move forward, but the full extent of these changes on the game’s development for the rest of the year – and beyond – remains unclear.

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2026-03-30 16:11