Crytek Halts Crysis 4, Lays Off Up to 60 Employees

Crytek, the renowned developer behind the Crysis series and Hunt: Showdown, has announced a significant restructuring, resulting in layoffs affecting 60 of its 400 employees, which is about 15% of its workforce. This decision comes amid challenging market conditions that have impacted the gaming industry at large. In a tweet, Crytek acknowledged the growth of Hunt: Showdown but emphasized that continuing business as usual was not financially sustainable.

The layoffs, which span across Crytek's development teams and shared services, were deemed "inevitable" despite the company's efforts to reduce costs and operating expenses. This includes putting Crysis 4 "on hold" late in 2024 and shifting staff to work on Hunt: Showdown. Crytek has committed to providing severance packages and career assistance to those affected.

In a comprehensive statement, Crytek founder Avni Yerli expressed the difficulty of the decision, highlighting the company's appreciation for its dedicated teams. He noted that despite the growth of Hunt: Showdown 1896, further measures were necessary to ensure the company's financial sustainability. Yerli reaffirmed Crytek's belief in its future, emphasizing a continued commitment to expanding and evolving Hunt: Showdown 1896 and advancing their engine, CRYENGINE.

Last year, it surfaced that Crytek had been developing a battle royale-inspired project codenamed Crysis Next, which was ultimately canceled in favor of Crysis 4. Announced in January 2022, Crysis 4 had been eagerly anticipated by fans of the franchise, known for its stunning visuals, innovative nanosuit powers, and engaging gameplay. The original Crysis, released in 2007, became a benchmark for PC performance, famously spawning the catchphrase "But can it run Crysis?" The most recent mainline entry, Crysis 3, was released in February 2013, followed by remasters of the original games, but updates on Crysis 4 have been sparse since its announcement.