Epic games to provide insurance for terminally ill former employee

Epic Games has pledged to 'solve' the insurance dilemma of a former employee living with terminal cancer, following widespread criticism of the company's decision to lay him off. Mike Prinke, a seven-year veteran programmer, was part of the over 1,000 staff members axed in Epic's recent mass layoffs.

Prinke battled terminal brain cancer

As his wife Jenni publicly revealed, Prinke was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, a reality that made the sudden loss of his life insurance upon being let go even more devastating. With his condition now classified as a pre-existing condition, he was unable to secure new coverage, leaving Jenni to grapple with the financial and emotional fallout.

In a heartfelt Facebook post, Jenni detailed the gravity of their situation: 'My husband, Mike, was recently laid off along with over 1,000 others at Epic Games. What makes this different for our family is that Mike is currently fighting terminal brain cancer. Because of the layoff, we didn't just lose income – we lost his life insurance.'

A wave of sympathy and outrage swept through the Fortnite community, prompting Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney to respond directly. 'Epic is in contact with the family and will solve the insurance for them,' Sweeney assured in a tweet. '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.'