Crytek Lays Off Staff, Development of 'Crysis 4' Uncertain

Crytek, facing challenging market conditions, announces layoffs impacting approximately 15% of its workforce, or 60 employees out of 400. While their successful title, Hunt: Showdown, continues to grow, the company states that unsustainable financial practices necessitated this difficult decision.

In a statement from founder Avni Yerli, Crytek explains that after halting development of Crysis 4 in Q3 2024 and shifting resources to Hunt: Showdown, cost-cutting measures proved insufficient to maintain financial stability. Layoffs, affecting both development and support teams, were deemed unavoidable. The company will provide severance packages and career support to affected employees.

Yerli emphasizes Crytek's commitment to the future, highlighting Hunt: Showdown's continued success and ongoing development, along with their dedication to the CRYENGINE.

This news follows the previously unannounced cancellation of a battle royale-inspired Crysis project, codenamed Crysis Next, in favor of Crysis 4, which was officially announced in January 2022. The Crysis franchise, renowned for its visually stunning graphics and demanding system requirements (famously leading to the "But can it run Crysis?" meme), has not seen a mainline installment since Crysis 3 in 2013, though remasters of earlier titles have been released. The future of Crysis 4 remains uncertain following this recent development.