Ex-Valve writer Chet Faliszek criticizes Tim Sweeney after Epic’s mass layoffs
Faliszek posted on TikTok after Epic acknowledged the cuts in a March 24 Newsroom post and confirmed the cancellation of several Fortnite modes.
Former Valve writer Chet Faliszek publicly attacked Epic Games and CEO Tim Sweeney following the studio’s decision to lay off more than 1,000 employees, arguing the cuts will hollow out the company’s sense of ownership and morale.
Faliszek, who left Valve in 2017 and whose credits include the Half-Life 2 episodes, Portal, Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, aired his remarks in a TikTok post in which he questioned why anyone at Epic should keep giving their best effort after such a large round of layoffs. The TikTok post is available below:
@chetfaliszek
In the video, Faliszek named the cancelled Fortnite projects, Rocket Racing, Ballistic, and Festival Battle Stage, and said that a thousand layoffs exceed the total number of people who work at Valve. He accused Sweeney of shifting focus away from making games toward chasing profits, and added, in blunt terms, “and I guess well, hey, Tim, Gabe’s better at that than you.”
Faliszek framed his criticism around employee agency and pride. He described Valve as a place where people felt ownership and were rewarded for long-term commitment and said that now many of Epic’s long-tenured staff who gave the company that stability are gone. He also pointed to recent business moves, including Epic’s Bandcamp acquisition and changes to V-buck pricing, as part of his wider critique of leadership choices.
When asked for comment about Faliszek’s remarks, Epic did not reply directly, but referred to its newsroom post about the layoffs, published on March 24, which explains the company’s position on the reductions and next steps.
Industry reaction has been mixed, and the layoffs have prompted internal warnings from some Fortnite developers that the scale of the cuts will affect development and live-service plans for months to come. Tim Sweeney has publicly framed the move as a response to shifting engagement and economic pressures, and he has also suggested the wave of resumes from departing staff will be valuable to other employers.
Faliszek warned that cutting senior staff risks eroding institutional knowledge and the passion that comes from feeling invested in a product. He said he would not encourage people to accept work at a company that he felt did not respect and reward its employees.
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