Crytek, a renowned game developer, has announced layoffs that will impact 60 of its 400 employees, representing 15% of its workforce. In a tweet, the company explained that despite the growth of their popular game Hunt: Showdown, they could not "continue as before and remain financially sustainable." This decision comes after Crytek put Crysis 4 on hold in late 2024, attempting to shift staff to Hunt: Showdown to reduce costs and operating expenses. However, the layoffs became "inevitable."
The layoffs will affect staff across Crytek's development teams and shared services. Crytek has committed to providing severance packages to the affected employees. In a detailed statement, Crytek founder Avni Yerli expressed the company's struggle with "complex, unfavorable market dynamics" that have impacted the gaming industry in recent years. He acknowledged the difficulty of the decision and the appreciation for the hard work of the talented teams at Crytek.
Yerli highlighted the shift of developers from the paused Crysis 4 project to Hunt: Showdown 1896, emphasizing the continued growth of the latter game. Despite these efforts, Crytek determined that layoffs were necessary to move forward. The company remains committed to the future of Hunt: Showdown 1896, promising to expand and evolve the game with new content while continuing to drive their strategy for 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 arena with the series' iconic abilities and sound effects. Although never officially announced, Crysis Next was canceled in favor of Crysis 4, which was announced in January 2022.
The Crysis series, known for its first-person sci-fi shooter gameplay, impressive visuals, and the versatile nanosuit powers, has been a benchmark for PC performance since the release of the first game in 2007. The game was so demanding that it led to the popular phrase, "But can it run Crysis?" used to gauge PC capabilities. The last 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 three years ago.
