Crytek, the renowned game developer, has announced layoffs affecting 60 of its 400 employees, which equates to 15% of its workforce. In a statement on Twitter, the company cited the need to remain financially sustainable despite the growth of their popular game, Hunt: Showdown. Crytek's founder, Avni Yerli, emphasized the challenging market dynamics impacting the gaming industry, which necessitated these difficult decisions.
The layoffs come after Crytek decided to put Crysis 4 "on hold" in late 2024, shifting focus and staff to Hunt: Showdown to reduce costs and operating expenses. However, these efforts were not enough to avoid the layoffs, which affected various development teams and shared services across the company. Crytek has committed to providing severance packages and career assistance services to those impacted.
In his full statement, Avni Yerli expressed the pain of this decision, acknowledging the hard work of the talented teams at Crytek. He reaffirmed the company's belief in its future, particularly with Hunt: Showdown, which they intend to expand and evolve with new content. Crytek also remains committed to their engine, CRYENGINE, as part of their ongoing strategy.
Last year, leaked footage of a battle royale-inspired Crysis project, codenamed Crysis Next, surfaced on YouTube. The early gameplay showed third-person shooting in a basic arena, incorporating Crysis' signature abilities and sound effects. However, Crytek ultimately canceled Crysis Next in favor of Crysis 4, which was officially announced in January 2022.
The Crysis series, known for its groundbreaking visuals, innovative nanosuit powers, and open-ended gameplay, has been a staple in the first-person sci-fi shooter genre since the release of the first game in 2007. Crysis was famously used as a benchmark for PC performance, leading to the popular phrase, "But can it run Crysis?" which became a litmus test for evaluating PC hardware capabilities.
The latest mainline entry, Crysis 3, was released in February 2013. While Crytek has released remasters of the original games in recent years, updates on Crysis 4 have been scarce since its announcement and teaser three years ago, leaving fans eagerly awaiting more news.
