Epic Games is now embroiled in controversy after its top leadership and employees publicly downplayed or mocked the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Tim Sweeney’s Posts
Instead of condemning the celebration of Kirk’s murder, Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney chose to attack Clemson University for denouncing such remarks. Sweeney posted the text of the First Amendment and wrote:
“What amendment says you can’t diss someone? Not seeing it here.”
Rather than showing sensitivity to the situation, Sweeney doubled down, dismissing Clemson’s statement as “wrong about the constitution.” He claimed his intervention was not political but insisted that the right to “vigorously criticize” should remain intact—even as critics pointed out his comments appeared to excuse rhetoric celebrating violence.
Bruce Knapic’s Comments
Bruce Knapic, who works in Trust & Safety at Epic Games, also came under fire for his online behavior. Instead of condemning Kirk’s killing, Knapic amplified posts attacking conservatives and mocking tributes to Kirk.
In one case, he targeted actor Chris Pratt for offering condolences, sneering at his lack of commentary on mass shootings. In another, he went further, writing that anyone who works with ICE should be “openly named, exposed, and vilified.”
Fallout
With both the CEO and senior staff at Epic Games now tied to inflammatory remarks, the company has become the latest example of the gaming industry’s hostility toward conservatives. Critics argue that Epic’s leadership has failed to set a standard of professionalism, instead excusing rhetoric that celebrates political violence.
Elon Musk has called out Microsoft for the behavior of Blizzard devs, and Sucker Punch Production senior a senior dev.
What Epic Games Is Behind
Epic Games is one of the biggest players in the gaming industry, best known as the studio behind Fortnite, the global battle royale phenomenon with hundreds of millions of players worldwide. The company also owns and develops Unreal Engine, the industry-leading game engine that powers countless titles across consoles, PC, and even Hollywood productions.
Borderlands 4 has also just been released.
