Crysis 4 ‘On Hold’ as Developer Crytek Announces Layoffs Affecting Up to 60 Staff

Crytek, the studio behind the acclaimed Crysis series and Hunt: Showdown, has announced layoffs affecting approximately 60 employees, representing 15% of its 400-person workforce. This difficult decision, according to Crytek founder Avni Yerli, stems from challenging market conditions impacting the gaming industry.

While Hunt: Showdown continues to grow, the company stated that maintaining its current operational structure is no longer financially sustainable. Despite previous cost-cutting measures, including shifting development resources from the paused Crysis 4 project to Hunt: Showdown, layoffs became unavoidable. Affected employees will receive severance packages and career assistance.

Yerli's full statement emphasizes Crytek's commitment to the future, focusing on the continued development and expansion of Hunt: Showdown and the CRYENGINE technology. The statement also highlights the challenges faced by the company in navigating the current market landscape.

The news follows the cancellation of a previously rumored battle royale-inspired Crysis project, codenamed Crysis Next, which was ultimately superseded by the announced Crysis 4 in January 2022. Crysis 4 was put on hold in Q3 2024.

The Crysis series, renowned for its visually stunning graphics and innovative nanosuit gameplay, holds a significant place in gaming history. The original Crysis, released in 2007, became a benchmark for PC hardware performance, giving rise to the popular phrase, "But can it run Crysis?" The last mainline entry, Crysis 3, launched in February 2013, with remasters of earlier titles released in recent years. News regarding Crysis 4 has been scarce since its initial announcement three years ago.