CARY, NC – Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney issued a statement today confirming that the company's decision to lay off over 1,000 employees was the direct result of traditional, analog business miscalculations and not, as some speculated, the covert machinations of advanced artificial intelligence.

“I want to be absolutely clear: no AI was involved in this process,” Sweeney stated in an internal memo obtained by Hambry. “These layoffs are 100% human-driven. We, as people, made these choices. No algorithms whispered sweet nothings of efficiency into our ears, nor did any neural networks plot the downfall of our workforce. This was good old-fashioned, flesh-and-blood corporate strategy.”

Industry analysts lauded the transparency. Dr. Evelyn Reed, a professor of Corporate Anthropology at the University of Phoenix Online, noted, “It’s refreshing to see a CEO take full, unadulterated human responsibility for a downturn. Usually, they’re quick to blame market forces, global pandemics, or, increasingly, the nebulous threat of AI. Mr. Sweeney is bravely admitting that sometimes, companies just make less money and fire people because of it.”

Sweeney attributed the cuts to a “downturn in Fortnite engagement” and rising operational costs, reassuring remaining staff that the company still “desperately needs software developers.” He concluded his statement by urging employees to continue their excellent work, promising that any future layoffs would also be meticulously planned by human beings, possibly over lukewarm coffee and stale donuts.

Sources close to the company indicate that the decision-making process involved several PowerPoint presentations created exclusively by biological organisms.