Crytek, the developer behind the acclaimed Crysis series, has suffered massive layoffs, impacting the production of the upcoming Crysis 4.
In an official statement posted on its social media accounts, most notably X (formerly Twitter), Crytek announced that 15% of its workforce — approximately 400 employees — had been laid off. The company acknowledged the difficulty of this decision, stating, “This has not been an easy decision to make, as we deeply appreciate the hard work of our talented teams.”
Fans have been left shocked and disappointed with this sudden announcement, with some airing out their concerns in the post's comment section.
The layoffs stem from Crytek’s ongoing efforts to reduce costs and cut operating expenses. The company has assured that affected employees will receive severance and career assistance services. Unfortunate, but inevitable.
As a result, Crysis 4 has been put on indefinite hold, with Crytek shifting developers to support its live-service first-person shooter, Hunt: Showdown 1896. “We have a very strong gaming service and remain fully committed to its operation,” Crytek stated, adding that it will “continue to expand and evolve Hunt: Showdown 1896 with great content.”
At this point, Hunt: Showdown 1896 appears to be Crytek’s primary revenue generator, making the company’s decision to focus on it understandable. The game has already reached an all-time peak of 60,000 concurrent players according to SteamDB, with nearly 10,000 active players daily.
Crysis 4 was initially announced on January 26, 2022, with only a teaser trailer and a working title revealed. At the time, no storyline had been mapped out, as the game was still in the early stages of development. For more information on this, you can check out our Crysis 4 piece here.
This unexpected announcement is a major disappointment for fans eagerly anticipating a new installment in the Crysis universe. And with Crysis 4 now in limbo, it may be a long time before we see another entry in the beloved sci-fi franchise.