Crytek, facing challenging market conditions, announces layoffs impacting 60 employees, or 15% of its 400-person workforce. The decision, while painful, was deemed necessary for the company's long-term financial stability, despite the growth of Hunt: Showdown.
In a statement from founder Avni Yerli, Crytek cited the halting of Crysis 4 development in Q3 2024 and subsequent efforts to transition staff to Hunt: Showdown as insufficient to offset financial pressures. Even with cost-cutting measures, layoffs were unavoidable. Affected employees will receive severance packages and career support.
Yerli emphasized Crytek's continued commitment to Hunt: Showdown and its CRYENGINE technology, highlighting Hunt: Showdown as a key strength moving forward. The company plans to continue expanding and developing Hunt: Showdown with new content.
The announcement follows previous reports of a canceled Crysis battle royale project, codenamed Crysis Next. This project, featuring third-person gameplay, was scrapped in favor of Crysis 4, which was announced in January 2022 but has since been put on hold.
The Crysis franchise, renowned for its visually stunning graphics and demanding system requirements, last saw a mainline release with Crysis 3 in 2013. While remasters of earlier titles have been released, news on Crysis 4 has been scarce since its initial announcement three years prior. The "But can it run Crysis?" meme, born from the original game's high system requirements, remains a testament to the series' legacy.
