Crystal Dynamics, the studio behind video games just like the Tomb Raider collection and Marvel’s Avengers, has introduced a brand new spherical of layoffs. Taking to social media platform X, the studio has launched a press release the place it revealed that it was shedding 17 of its staff.
Whereas the corporate hasn’t but confirmed the position that these staff performed in Crystal Dynamics, it has talked about that the choice was made with a purpose to higher align the corporate’s construction with its wants as a enterprise for fulfillment sooner or later.
“This morning, Crystal Dynamics made the troublesome determination to scale back our workforce by 17 gifted group members,” posted the corporate. “We didn’t make this determination frivolously. Finally, this step was crucial to higher align our present enterprise wants and the studio’s future success. It’s not a mirrored image of the dedication or skill of these affected.”
“We acknowledge how painful this final result is for these impacted and we’re supporting them with transition packages and alternative outreach. Crystal Dynamics stays dedicated to pushing the boundaries of constructing nice video games. This alteration doesn’t alter our present mission plans.”
The final time we heard from Crystal Dynamics, the corporate was engaged on its subsequent Tomb Raider sport. The studio was additionally recruiting extra builders to make the sport, together with a senior franchise artist that will work on the Tomb Raider franchise as an entire.
The opposite main mission at the moment being labored on at Crystal Dynamics is a brand new sport within the Good Darkish franchise. A job itemizing from again in February indicated that the studio, together with co-development accomplice The Initiative, could be seeking to convey the title to the PS5 in addition to Nintendo’s upcoming console, the Swap 2. The job itemizing was for the principal graphics engineer at The Initiative.
Again in October, the Good Darkish reboot acquired a brand new inventive director within the type of Insomniac Video games’ Brian Horton. Earlier than transferring on to work with The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics, Horton labored with Insomniac Video games and served as inventive director on the still-in-development Marvel’s Wolverine.
Crystal Dynamics has been going through fairly a number of points because the launch of Marvel’s Avengers. Again in 2023, when the studio was nonetheless working below the Embracer Group, it was hit by a spherical of layoffs affecting ten of its staff. On the time, the studio referred to the mode as being made on account of “an inside restructuring to align the studio with present enterprise wants.”
Across the identical time, the studio had additionally ceased additional improvement and help for Marvel’s Avengers. Since September 2023, the title has additionally been de-listed from all digital storefronts, rendering it primarily unimaginable to play for a brand new participant until they will get their palms on a used copy. Even then, solely the single-player marketing campaign from Marvel’s Avengers can be playable.
For extra particulars on the destiny of Crystal Dynamics’ final title, Marvel’s Avengers, listed below are our ideas on the sport. For a extra constructive be aware, try some gameplay for Good Darkish that showcased the title’s stealth gameplay and the assorted devices gamers will get.
This morning, Crystal Dynamics made the troublesome determination to scale back our workforce by 17 gifted group members. We didn’t make this determination frivolously. Finally, this step was crucial to higher align our present (cont) https://t.co/wKWtl5Be8S pic.twitter.com/q482GyteoJ
— Crystal Dynamics (@CrystalDynamics) March 26, 2025