Crytek, a renowned game developer, has announced layoffs affecting 60 of its 400 employees, which constitutes 15% of its workforce. The company cited the need to remain financially sustainable as the driving force behind this difficult decision. In a tweet, Crytek acknowledged the growth of their popular game, Hunt: Showdown, but stated that they could not "continue as before and remain financially sustainable."
The layoffs span across Crytek's development teams and shared services. The company has been proactive in managing costs, having put Crysis 4 "on hold" in late 2024 and shifting staff to work on Hunt: Showdown. Despite these efforts to reduce costs and operating expenses, Crytek determined that layoffs were "inevitable." The company has committed to offering severance packages to the affected employees.
Crytek's founder, Avni Yerli, released a full statement emphasizing the challenging market dynamics affecting the gaming industry. He expressed regret over the layoffs, stating, "It pains me greatly to share today that we must lay off an estimated 15% of our around 400 employees." Yerli highlighted the shift of developers to Hunt: Showdown 1896 following the pause on Crysis 4 development in the third quarter of 2024.
Despite the layoffs, Crytek remains optimistic about its future, particularly with Hunt: Showdown 1896. Yerli reiterated their commitment to this game, stating, "We have a very strong gaming service and remain fully committed to its operation." The company plans to continue expanding and evolving Hunt: Showdown 1896 and further develop their engine, CRYENGINE.
Last year, it was revealed that Crytek had been working on a battle royale-inspired project codenamed Crysis Next. Early gameplay footage surfaced on YouTube, showcasing third-person shooting in a basic warm-up arena, complete with Crysis' iconic abilities and sound effects. However, Crytek never officially announced Crysis Next, opting instead to focus on Crysis 4, which was announced in January 2022.
The Crysis series is well-known for its first-person sci-fi shooter gameplay, stunning visuals, and the innovative nanosuit powers. The original game, released in 2007, became a benchmark for PC performance, leading to the famous phrase, "But can it run Crysis?" used to gauge a PC's capabilities. The most recent mainline game, Crysis 3, was released in February 2013. Since then, Crytek has released remasters of the original games, but there have been no further updates on Crysis 4 since its teaser three years ago.
