Crytek, the renowned game developer behind the Crysis series and Hunt: Showdown, has announced a difficult decision: layoffs affecting approximately 15% of its workforce, totaling 60 employees out of 400. While Hunt: Showdown continues to grow, the company cited challenging market conditions as the reason for this restructuring. Despite pausing development on Crysis 4 in late 2024 and shifting resources to Hunt: Showdown, cost-cutting measures proved insufficient to maintain financial stability. The layoffs impact various development teams and shared services, with Crytek pledging severance packages and career assistance to affected employees.
In a statement, Crytek founder Avni Yerli acknowledged the painful nature of the decision, highlighting the company's appreciation for its talented teams. He reiterated Crytek's commitment to Hunt: Showdown, emphasizing its strong performance and continued development, alongside ongoing support for the CRYENGINE.
The news follows previous reports of a cancelled battle royale-inspired Crysis project, codenamed Crysis Next. This project, revealed through leaked gameplay footage, was ultimately scrapped in favor of Crysis 4, officially announced in January 2022. The Crysis series, known for its visually stunning graphics and innovative nanosuit gameplay, remains a landmark franchise, with the original 2007 installment becoming a benchmark for PC hardware capabilities, famously spawning the phrase, "But can it run Crysis?" The last mainline entry, Crysis 3, was released in February 2013, with remasters of earlier titles released in recent years. The future of Crysis 4 remains uncertain following this latest development.
