Far ahead and way behind at the same time. - Engineering Director Epic Games Employee Review

3.0
Aug 24, 2023
Recommend
Business Outlook

Pros

For as long as I can remember, Epic Games has a simple mantra: Work hard and we'll cover you so you don't have to worry about anything else. This has led to benefits which are better than any place I've seen. It also includes a cash-heavy bonus structure but unfortunately is highly dynamic (see cons). We work on some really cool stuff at Epic, and there's no shortage of interesting things happening around the company to keep people engaged.

Cons

Epic is an incredibly frustrating place to work. The mantra I mentioned in pros only works when the company is doing well. When it's not doing well, the institutional problems are laid bare for all to see. Leadership communication is less than 1 Star. This isn't the fault of the comms team, rather many critical senior leadership folks simply don't grasp the value of communication to the company. Every time they try to communicate out something to employees, it's a disaster. Changes in corporate policy, bonus payouts, company pivots, etc. They never can get it right and it leads to mass frustration and confusion across the entire company. It would be comical at this point if it wasn't so negatively impactful. This cascades down leadership teams as well. You have managers that simply don't care about leading people. They would make fine engineers, but any sort of adversity or conflict and they don't know how to navigate it. This leaves problems to fester which strains relationships. There is no guidance for career development or transparency. As a leader, I have no mandate, guidance, or resources to help develop my team. I still invest in my team in ways I know best, but there is no incentive or even acknowledgement that it's something Epic values. The culture simply isn't there. Last and most importantly, Epic breaks the cardinal rule with employment: They mess with people's money - particularly the bonus. As the company performance has normalized, some unknown process constantly changes how cash is distributed to employees every quarter. This has led to massive swings in quarterly bonus payouts for employees with little to zero communication as to why. People who have been rated higher than the last cycle end up with less money with no explanation. This problem is getting worse every cycle and is the number one impact on morale right now. If you're going to severely mess with people's money, you owe them an explanation or at least an indication. The shock and awe approach is devastating for hard workers who are on the record as performing well.

Explore other reviews about Epic Games

5.0
May 31, 2026
Recommend
Business Outlook

Pros

- Amazing benefits and pay - Work with some of the most talented folks in the industry - Move quickly and ship a lot - Have the freedom to make a lot of impact - Not political and a no nonsense place, just a lot of talented and passionate folks wanting to do good work

Cons

- Company strategy can shift quickly which can feel chaotic for many people, change is a part of life at Epic - Lots of teams work long hours, not all teams but it’s common

1.0
Apr 14, 2026
Recommend
Business Outlook

Pros

Great Benefits, people you work with are all top notch in their fields.

Cons

No growth opportunities or raises at all. I've been here for 4 years and since then have only had 1 notable raise and no promotions. Constant turnover and loss of talent due to over-worked stress and no sense of work/life balance. Management are all incompetent and won't ever take accountability for their terrible actions. "Fast-paced" environment is what they tell you but it's just another way of saying they will over-work you and give you no rewards. C-suite is even more out of touch with their employees and consumers. Constant pivots and changes out of nowhere because some L8 or L9 didn't like it and no one will push back otherwise you get laid off. I was here since 2022 and it has just gone downhill ever since COVID. Layoffs are a clear indicator of a company under-performing and the fact that none of the people involved with the bad decisions were touched indicates that this will continue happening. Terrible place to grow and pay isn't much better.

7
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