Epic Games layoffs included almost half of Bandcamp's staff
Ahead of sale to Songtradr.
"At least" half of Bandcamp's staff was laid off ahead of its sale by Epic Games to music licensing and distribution platform Songtradr.
Epic only acquired Bandcamp, the self-styled "online record store and music community", last year. As we reported back in 2022, the Fortnite and Unreal Engine developer said this acquisition was all part of its vision to build out a "creator marketplace ecosystem". Its subsequent sale to Songtradr was then announced last month.
In a statement shared with Eurogamer, Epic confirmed the recent Bandcamp layoffs were part of its previous wave of cuts, which were announced at the end of September.
"We shared with Bandcamp employees that we understood Songtradr would be extending offers to some Bandcamp employees in waves in the coming weeks," an Epic spokesperson said.
"We also let them know that Bandcamp employees not receiving offers will be offered severance by Epic and be part of Epic's layoffs. Now that the transaction with Songtradr has closed and all offers have been extended, we've notified employees who are being laid off."
Bandcamp employees affected by these layoffs will receive the same severance terms as offered to other Epic employees. "Now that the transaction with Songtradr has closed and all offers have been extended, we've notified employees who are being laid off."
In an additional statement regarding this sale and subsequent job reductions, Songtradr told Eurogamer that Bandcamp's operating costs had "significantly increased" over recent years.
"It required some adjustments to ensure a sustainable and healthy company that can serve its community of artists and fans," Songtradr said.
"After a comprehensive evaluation, including the importance of roles for smooth business operations and pre-existing functions at Songtradr, 50 percent of Bandcamp employees have accepted offers to join Songtradr."
The company said it remained "committed to keeping the existing Bandcamp services that fans and artists love, including its artist-first revenue share, Bandcamp Fridays and Bandcamp Daily."
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Bandcamp team called news of these redundancies "heartbreaking".
"We love our jobs, the platform we've built, and the Bandcamp community. We're glad we have our union coworkers who have each other's backs. We'll be moving together to decide what our next steps are. On Wednesday we return to the bargaining table with Epic Games, and we'll keep you updated," the team wrote this morning.
"Love and solidarity to the whole Bandcamp community. Thank you for your support."
As for the news of Epic's layoffs in September, this announcement came in a year that has seen substantial cuts across the games industry, with the likes of Microsoft, Take-Two, Riot Games, EA, Twitch, Meta, Unity, Ubisoft, CD Projekt, Roblox, Embracer, Amazon, and Sega, to name but a handful, all announcing reductions in 2023.