30/03/2026
I have some word salad thoughts about , they recently axed a thousand employees, let’s not also forget the previous 830 from 2023. The previous cuts where conveniently blamed on "spending too much" yet they happened right as the company was forced to pay a record five hundred twenty dollar FTC settlement.
The hit them for two massive violations, three hundred million for illegally collecting kids' personal breaching privacy and nearly two hundred fifty million for using "dark patterns" manipulative design tricks meant to dupe players into making unintended purchases.
This new wave of unemployment included a staffer battling terminal brain cancer. They only scrambled to provide a "protective barrier" for that individual after a massive public outcry, but it should have NEVER happened in the first place.
It makes you wonder how many others without a voice were tossed aside just because the cash cow missed a few projected margins. It is sickening to see human lives traded for corporate restructuring, especially while they chase a white label Steam clone instead of focusing on making actual games.
I am very polarised by all this, I promised previously, I would play it, if we hit our goal, but I now refuse to support such a hollow and predatory developer, so you are getting no eyeballs, nor algorithm pocket money from me ever again epic, not sorry.
The Verge documented these layoffs, but the crap fest runs deep. When you add the 's findings on deceptive billing to a notorious with 80 to 100 hour work weeks and the exploitation of independent creators for emotes and trends, the human cost is becoming impossible to ignore.
Since my core group wants an us against the world dynamic game, working together, we are switching to games that actually respect their people.
After some research, I'm going with instead.
appears to be the total opposite of the Epic executive team from my own findings, they appear to have a no crunch policy and ensure every bit of seasonal content is completely free. If you miss a season, the items stay in the game rather than disappearing forever to create fake urgency. I am ready for a new adventure that rewards our time without using psychological brain tricks and maybe join a community that values people over predatory profit margins.
So while I acquire this game, please respect the fact I won't be touching even in casual play or any further broadcasting platforms.
*My words are my own, None sponsored, None monetised, None cohearsed, just my own findings and thoughts about the whole thing, but feel free to discuss your own thoughts with me.
