Only a day after it was revealed Epic Games laid off 16% of their employees, the team behind Fall Guys gave a statement regarding how hard it affected them.

Mediatonic was acquired by Epic Games in 2021 after their unique take on mixing battle royale and party-style games into one became a hit during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. While in quarantine, many turned to video games for socialization with both old and new friends. Fall Guys was easily one of the most impactful multiplayer games during the global isolation period. With its playful graphics, absurd character designs and cosmetics, and deceptively simple minigames, Fall Guys created a spot of hope and humor. Even after quarantine ended, Fall Guys continued to be popular, releasing new seasons with new cosmetics and rewards alongside updates.

While it’s true that Epic Games-owned Mediatonic (Fall Guys) was hit very hard by today’s mass layoffs, reports/rumors that the entire studio was shuttered are not true.

— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) September 28, 2023

Earlier today, September 29, 2023, rumors circulated that the entirety of Mediatonic’s staff was laid off. It was later clarified by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier that while Mediatonic was severely hurt from the layoffs, the studio was still operable. Still, the decision to lay off so many employees is a shock, especially considering Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney stated in his email to the company yesterday that Epic Games is “continuing to invest in games with Fortnite first-party development, the Fortnite creator ecosystem and economy, Rocket League and Fall Guys.”

Mediatonic staff affected have been coping with humor, at least. In their office, the team reassembled the letters that usually spell the studio name into “Decimation,” as shown in a post by Ed Fear, who wrote and designed Mediatonic’s 2020 90s-themed detective game Murder by Numbers. 

The Mediatonic logo right now: pic.twitter.com/LHqbc62LL3

— Ed Fear (@edfear) September 28, 2023

Fear stated he was one of many affected by the layoffs, writing: “I’m absolutely devastated to leave behind so many amazing Mediatonic colleagues who I loved.”

It is currently unknown exactly how many employees were laid off at Mediatonic, or how the future of Fall Guys will be affected.