Anna Milner, PMP

While I was not directly impacted, yesterday’s news was incredibly tough. The people I’ve met and have had the privilege to collaborate with at Epic are undisputedly the best part of my job. I often still feel like the new kid at Epic 2 years in, and that’s due in large part to the levels of talent, knowledge and generosity of my colleagues. Not at all a gamer myself, I’m constantly learning from and in awe of the people around me and all they’re capable of. If you’re a recruiter or hiring manager and a candidate from Epic is in your application pile, my bet is on them. Your organization would be lucky to have them. And to my impacted colleagues: while I’m still on parental leave and doing my best to disconnect for a bit, if there’s anything I can do to help when it’s time to figure out what’s next, please reach out.

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Epic Games Store "sucks," says Epic Games Store Vice-President and General Manager Steven Allison. The good news is, the improvements ensuring the launcher doesn't "suck so much" can be expected in the coming months: https://lnkd.in/e7mhSTYp

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I got this question on linkedin today. "Who is a woman who’s made an impact on your career? #IWD26" I can mention many but just a hipshot: Hillary Davidson - best direct manager, I still copy her when in doubt Medi Goker - showed me a matriarchy works as well as any other organisational model, loved being in her org Claudia Ogas Castañeda - carved herself out a solid position in a patriarchy, wow Carole Riault - great leader and true to mission Iryna Lokshyna - one of the souls of my time at Epic Games Suzanne Jackiw - one of the other souls at Epic Games despite being a lawyer <3 Irina Petrova - powerhouse of curiosity and learning, that teaches you things as you teach them Marcia Tello Ortiz - tipping point in my consulting career with a single sentence in a time of being competitors Ivannoska Gurgel and Summer O'Brien - who navigated through a wall of bricks I bounced off of There are others but this might do for now. Of course there are as many dudes who have made an impact but as a wingfoiler (Wingfoil World Tour) I can only imagine how winds that blow some of us forward(ish), others have to go upwind and get further.

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Today was a difficult day. As many people now know, Epic went through a significant round of layoffs. While I was not personally impacted, many incredibly talented and genuinely wonderful people were. These are people I deeply respect, and I am better for having had the opportunity to work alongside them. To everyone affected, I want to express my sympathy and offer my support however I can. I’m happy to assist with recommendations, resume reviews, interview prep, or simply being someone to talk to. When I was laid off in the past, I remember feeling hesitant to ask colleagues for recommendations because I worried I was bothering them. A friend gave me advice that has stayed with me: "Never feel bad asking for connections or recommendations. One day, I may be asking you for the same help, and I know you would offer it without hesitation". That spirit of showing up for one another is one of the most important things we can do in tech, especially in moments like this. I encourage you to check in on your friends and former colleagues. Make sure they’re really doing okay. Don’t worry about being a bother. Hearing from people who care can make a real difference when you're going through tough times.

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There are hundreds of people still struggling to find a job / financial stability after the FIRST #EpicLayoff in 2023, so please keep that in mind when reaching out to folks for assistance or support. Some of us are working multiple jobs just to make ends meet. Think of them too.

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Epic Games is laying off 1,000 employees amid a "downturn in Fortnite engagement." The company is also undergoing $500 million in cost saving efforts. https://lnkd.in/eDnheHQH "Today we’re laying off over 1000 Epic employees. I'm sorry we're here again. The downturn in Fortnite engagement that started in 2025 means we're spending significantly more than we're making, and we have to make major cuts to keep the company funded. This layoff, together with over $500 million of identified cost savings in contracting, marketing, and closing some open roles puts us in a more stable place," writes CEO Tim Sweeney.

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To all my former EA colleagues impacted by the layoffs, my heart goes out to you. I spent 18 years at EA, and what stays with me most is the people. Incredibly talented, passionate, hardworking people who care deeply about what they create and the teams they work alongside. Many became lifelong friends. Please know that a layoff doesn’t define your talent, contributions, or worth. It doesn’t diminish the experiences you’ve created for players and audiences around the world, the joy you’ve brought to millions, or the relationships you’ve built along the way. None of that disappears with a decision like this. Sending love and support to everyone impacted. Please reach out if I can help with a connection, a conversation, or simply a friendly ear. Thinking of you all. ❤️

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Sorry to everyone who has been affected by layoffs recently. It’s tough not to acknowledge. I worry the decisions being made will cause irreversible damage. If I could share some brief encouragement, now’s the time to prioritize yourself, take on gamedev training/exploration you’ve had to set aside, develop new skills, etc. The future will favor generalists. It’s important to recognize that companies alone aren’t our identities and that one can continue to work against the odds out of passion and dedication. Don’t let this be a setback.

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I'm making introductions for four exceptional Technical Account Managers laid off from Epic Games this past week. DM me directly to follow up on any of them. Tim Sweeney (Epic's CEO) said it plainly: "Anyone with Epic Games on their resume is in the top few percent of their discipline." These four are why. Kahn Jekarl (Bay Area) — Exceptional adaptability and ability to context-switch across technical depth and relationship management. Particular strength in mobile gaming - including experience with Scopely, NetMarble, and Krafton - with cross-cultural communication across North American and Asian markets. Experienced in both Unreal Engine and Unity. Jeremy Keays (Vancouver) — Owned relationships with some of the largest game developers in the world: Microsoft, EA, Riot Games, Hasbro. Navigates large corporate environments and builds relationships at every altitude. Deep engine pedigree: Unreal Engine at Epic, Frostbite at EA before that. Paulo Souza (Montreal) — The rare combination of genuinely deep Unreal Engine technical expertise and commercial instincts, with a background in business development and account management. Worked with Warner Bros., Sony, 2K, Ubisoft, and others. Fluent in Portuguese with deep familiarity with the LATAM market. Pushed the team to adopt better tooling and AI-assisted workflows before most people were thinking about it. Richard Zhou (New York) — End-to-end web services knowledge from evaluation through deployment, with deep expertise in KWS (Kids Web Services) - a fast-growing area as age verification and child safety compliance requirements expand globally. Detail-oriented and fast to ramp in new environments. They each supported Unreal Engine, Epic Online Services, Easy Anti-Cheat, and Epic Games Store for the world's most demanding game developers. If you're hiring TAMs, partner engineers, or customer success managers - in games or beyond - reach out and I'll connect you directly. I was also part of the layoff. Happy to discuss my own background separately, but today this post is about them.

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