Crysis 4 has been put 'on hold' as developer Crytek lays off 15% of its workforce, stating it "cannot continue as before and remain financially sustainable.
In a statement posted on X, Crytek cited "complex, unfavourable market dynamics" as the reason behind the reductions, which will affect roughly 60 of the around 400 employees within the studio's development teams and shared services. "This has not been an easy decision to make, as we deeply appreciate the hard work of our talented teams."
Crytek goes on to say that "after putting the development of the next Crysis game on hold in Q3 2024, we have been trying to shift developers over to Hunt: Showdown 1896". Yet while Crytek's nineteenth-century extraction shooter is "still growing, Crytek cannot continue as before and remain financially sustainable." The studio also stresses there are "ongoing efforts" to reduce running costs, but says that layoffs are nonetheless "inevitable".
The news that Crysis 4 is on hold may come as a shock to fans, especially given the decision was apparently made some time ago. However, Crytek has said little about the project since it was announced way back in January 2022. The reveal was accompanied by a teaser trailer (viewable below) but no footage of the game itself was shown at the time. The fact the game is merely on hold, rather than cancelled outright, means there's some hope we'll see it eventually. But given Crytek is shifting developers over to Hunt: Showdown, it seems unlikely we'll be seeing a new Crysis anytime soon.
Regarding the future of the studio as a whole, Crytek says it is "fully committed" to the operation of Hunt: Showdown 1896, and will "continue to expand" the extraction shooter as it has done since launch. Hunt enjoyed its highest-ever player count following its 1896 update, which Crytek described as a "new era" for the shooter. But recent brand crossovers with the likes of Ghost Face from Scream have raised concerns about the ongoing identity of the game.
Personally, I'm gutted that Crysis 4 is in limbo. I'm a big fan of the series overall, but especially that almighty first game and its ridiculous technical wizardry. Last year I sat down with Crysis' director Cevat Yerli to get the inside story of the game's creation, and he told me all manner of wild development anecdotes, like being invited to an actual nanotech conference because of the game's website, and how the studio created a blushing system specifically for its NPCs.
Moreover, although I cannot claim to be a business mega-brain, I have a sneaking suspicion that a new Crysis would be absolutely huge right about now. The original is one of the most fundamentally PC games ever made, combining dazzling environments with rich, flexible systems and a real desire to put the action in your hands. It's a combination the gaming community has demonstrated a real desire for lately, with both Stalker 2 and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 proving big hits, even if they're not always the most streamlined or user-friendly experiences.
