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Crystal Dynamics, which is currently working on a Perfect Dark reboot and a new Tomb Raider game, has announced the layoff of 17 employees.
“This morning, Crystal Dynamics made the difficult decision to reduce our workforce by 17 talented team members,” the studio said in a message posted to X. “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.”
The past five years have not been especially kind to Crystal Dynamics. Marvel’s Avengers, the live service superhero game that debuted in 2020 (and CD’s last big project), did poorly and was removed from sale just three years later. The studio itself, meanwhile, was acquired by Embracer in 2022, and while that ultimately put Tomb Raider back in the studio’s hands, it also happened less than a year ahead of Embracer’s infamous $2 billion “rough night” that saw numerous studios gutted and closed.
As game industry layoffs go, 17 isn’t a huge number, at least when compared to the tens of thousands that have been put out of work over the past few years. That’s obviously no comfort to the people who have been let go, nor does it seem like an especially good sign for a studio that by all appearances has plenty to do.
Crystal Dynamics is currently co-developing a reboot of Perfect Dark alongside The Initiative; it’s also got a new Tomb Raider on the go, the first new addition to the series since Shadow of the Tomb Raider in 2018, although nothing’s been heard about that since the reveal of character art in early 2024. It’s also recently worked with Aspyr on remasters of older Tomb Raider games and Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver.
The studio said the layoffs will “not alter our current project plans.”
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Kurt Indovina
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