Crystal Dynamics has revealed another round of layoffs.
They shared this statement on social media:
“This morning, Crystal Dynamics made the difficult decision to reduce our workforce by 17 talented team members. We did not make this decision lightly. Ultimately, this step was necessary to better align our current business needs and the studio’s future success. It is not a reflection of the dedication or ability of those affected.
We recognize how painful this outcome is for those impacted and we are supporting them with transition packages and opportunity outreach.
Crystal Dynamics remains committed to pushing the boundaries of making great games. This change does not alter our current project plans.”
The last time Crystal Dynamics held layoffs was in September 2023. At this time, they were drawn in by the restructuring that was being done by their parent company. Embracer Group. But then, they laid off nine employees. That means this latest round of layoffs led to more people losing their jobs, than Embracer’s restructuring did.
In between both rounds of layoffs, Amazon acquired the Tomb Raider franchise from Embracer Group. Crystal Dynamics was then set to make a new Tomb Raider game, and started hiring accordingly. And so, we can’t avoid pondering the possibility that something happened to this Tomb Raider project that compelled the studio to now have layoffs, at an even greater number as well.
Whether that ongoing project, or other factors, led to these layoffs, it’s an unfortunate reminder that the industry is still in the middle of a wave of layoffs. It’s particularly troublesome that Crystal Dynamics isn’t being ‘punished’ for releasing a game that didn’t sell enough units.
In this case, the studio is in the middle or possibly even still in the first steps of making their next Tomb Raider game. That implies that the money was not making sense for them to keep investing into the project. It’s certainly not a good sign for the game itself.
We do recognize that Crystal Dynamics claims these layoffs did not make changes to their plans, but it may be a situation where they didn’t finish laying out those plans yet. But all things considered, one wonders why Amazon didn’t think to intervene to secure the quality of their next game. Amazon should be incentivized to make a good Tomb Raider game to match their other Tomb Raider projects as well.
We wish the best for the staff at Crystal Dynamics, and hope those who are leaving the company will find placement back in the video game industry.
