Epic Games Shakes Up Fortnite’s Formula With Layoffs, New V-Bucks Prices, And Three Game Modes Permanently Removed

It is no secret the goliath that Epic Games’ Fortnite has become. Since the battle royale took off, the live-service has remained a staple title millions return to. In 2025, the game did make new waves once again. At the time, Apple blocked Fortnite’s attempt to return to iOS. But eventually, Epic Games prevailed as the title officially returned to the App Store that spring.

Additionally, the collaborations has yet to cease for Fortnite as well. This past November, The Simpsons made their debut to the live-service delivering a suite of cosmetic skins as well as Springfield itself being part of the map for a limited-time takeover. Just recently in February, word broke out that Kingdom Hearts is another IP looking to make an appearance in Fortnite at some point too.

Now over the past few weeks, Epic Games has done major changes to the core foundation of Fortnite. On March 19th, Epic Games did increase the prices for its in-game currency, V-Bucks. The new change has impacted how much currency you get as the $8.99 pack only rewards 800 V-Bucks instead of the regular 1,000 V-Bucks. You can view the full conversion below:

“You get 20% back in Epic Rewards on purchases in Fortnite, Fall Guys, and Rocket League when they are made through the Epic Games Store or Epic’s payment system across PC, iOS, Android, and web, including the purchase of V-Bucks,” Epic Games elaborated on the new changes. “That credit can be used in Fortnite, other Epic games, or on the Epic Games Store when you check out with Epic’s payment system.”

As for other major shake ups at Fortnite, three game modes are to be shuttered. As of writing, both Ballistic & Festival Battle Stage are to be scrubbed from Fortnite on April 16th. The other mode is Rocket Racing which is to close in October 2026 later this fall. “We’ve built a lot of Fortnite modes, and in some cases we failed to build something awesome enough to attract and retain a large player base.”

Epic Games does address that features from these modes will still be intact for UEFN which is one reassuring detail from the announcement. “For developers building car content, in April we’re adding car physics, hazards, and track-building tools (including the Track Spline tool and Speed Boost devices) to the base UEFN toolset. […] In order for developers to build modes like Ballistic, more UEFN features will be required such as custom weapon support, ranked support, and additional matchmaking features.”

Probably the most polarizing piece of news comes from Epic Games directly addressing the new mass firing from the publisher. It is confirmed that over 1,000 employees were laid off from the Epic Games. In a press release issued by founder Tim Sweeney, he explains the decision will save the firm roughly $500 million as part of “cost savings in contracting, marketing, and closing some open roles puts us in a more stable place.”

“Market conditions today are the most extreme we’ve seen since those early days, with massive upheaval in the industry accompanied by massive opportunity for the companies that come out as winners on the other side. That’s what we’re aiming to do for our players, and we aim to bring other like-minded developers in the industry along on the journey to build an increasingly open and vibrant future of entertainment together.

At Epic, we pride ourselves in only hiring the industry’s best, so it is very painful to part with so many talented people. The folks impacted by the layoffs will receive a severance package that includes at least four months of base pay, with more based on tenure. We’re also extending Epic-paid healthcare coverage.

Are you surprised with the massive changes happening to Fortnite and Epic Games?

Source: Epic Games, (1), (2)