You probably know the name Crytek from titles such as the Crysis series, Homefront, and the original Far Cry. The developer’s UK branch, Crytek UK, could be in serious financial trouble though, if recent rumors are to be believed. According to EuroGamer, around 30 employees have left the company since work began on their latest release, Homefront: The Revolution – the follow-up to THQ’s controversial 2011 effort, Homefront.
What’s responsible for this high turnaround? Late paycheques, for a start. Crytek UK has reportedly been having difficulty making payroll; as a result, they’ve lost key personnel in the programming, art, and design departments. Even managing director Karl Hilton is reportedly leaving his position, though he plans to remain within the company and serve in a different capacity.
GameStar, a German gaming magazine, suggested that Crytek UK’s payroll difficulties are a sign of impending bankruptcy. Interestingly, Crytek refuted the claims in a recent statement:
“Regardless of what some media are reporting, mostly based on a recent article published by GameStar, the information in those reports and in the GameStar article itself are rumors which Crytek deny. We continue to focus on the development and publishing of our upcoming titles Homefront: The Revolution, Hunt: Horrors of the Gilded Age, Arena of Fate, and Warface, as well as providing ongoing support for our CryEngine and its licensees.”
Seeing as several Crytek projects that had been in the pipeline for a while, such as a sequel to Xbox One title Ryse, along with a few other as-yet-unannounced prototypes, have been cancelled, the writing might be on the wall here.