A terminally ill employee with brain cancer was among roughly 1,000 workers laid off by the video game company behind Fortnite — and he lost his health insurance as a result, according to his wife.
Jenni Griffin said in a Facebook post that her husband, Mike Prinke, a 38-year-old resident of Sanford, NC, was among more than 1,000 employees laid off by Epic Games — but unlike others, he is battling terminal brain cancer.
Tim Sweeney, the CEO of Epic, responded to online outrage by saying that the company was in touch with Griffin and Prinke and that his firm would “solve the insurance for them.”
Last week, Sweeney said that all of the Epic employees affected by the layoffs would receive a severance package that includes at least four months of base pay as well as extended health insurance coverage for six months.
“For Epic employees impacted by the layoffs, they receive a severance package that includes at least four months of base pay, with more based on tenure. We’ve also extended Epic-paid healthcare coverage,” Epic spokesperson Liz Markman told The Post.
“We are in touch with Mike directly and working to provide him extended insurance coverage.”
“Because of the layoff, we didn’t just lose income — we lost his life insurance,” Griffin wrote on Saturday, adding that his illness is now considered a pre-existing condition, making it impossible to secure new coverage.
“So now, as I face the reality of losing my husband… I’m also facing the reality of what type of funeral/burial I can afford,” she wrote.
Griffin said she shared the post in hopes it would reach someone at the company who could help, writing: “Mike is not just a number. He is a father. A husband. A person deeply loved.”
Griffin also shared a stark image of her husband’s brain scan, showing a highlighted tumor in the frontal lobe.
The image included text warning that “there are dozens of tumors actively growing,” adding that one in particular was “aggressively taking over space in the frontal lobe,” underscoring the severity of his condition.
Griffin updated the post on Sunday, writing: “WE ARE IN TALKS WITH THE APPROPRIATE PEOPLE! WILL UPDATE SOON, LIKELY BY TUESDAY. THANK YOU <3”
An X user who goes by the handle “Backers | Fortnite News” posted Griffin’s message on the social media platform, tagging Sweeney.
“ARE YOU HAPPY NOW @TimSweeneyEpic ???????” read the caption.
Sweeney responded to the post, writing: “Epic is in contact with the family and will solve the insurance for them. There is high confidentiality around medical information and it was not a factor in this layoff decision. Sorry to everyone for not recognizing this terribly painful situation and handling it in advance.”
The Post has sought comment from Griffin.
The post drew an outpouring of support and advice from commenters, with many urging Griffin to contact human resources about insurance options such as “conversion” or “portability,” while others suggested reaching out to media outlets or starting a fundraiser to help cover costs.
Several commenters also tagged Epic Games directly and called on the company to intervene, with one writing, “this is unacceptable,” as the post spread widely online.
Prinke, a programmer who had worked at Epic Games for nearly seven years, had continued working through his diagnosis and frequent medical appointments, according to his wife.
She told the news site Kotaku his condition was not a secret among colleagues, adding that “everyone he worked with knows.”
“We should be spending every possible moment treasuring the time we have left,” Griffin wrote in her post, adding that instead the family is scrambling to sort out insurance and finances as his condition worsens.
“At any time, Mike could have his third ‘major event’ and become unresponsive.”
Epic Games announced the layoffs last week, cutting more than 1,000 employees as part of a broader cost-cutting effort tied to declining Fortnite engagement and rising expenses, according to the company.
The cuts follow an earlier round of layoffs in 2023 and are part of what executives described as an effort to reduce spending and stabilize the business.
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