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Crytek CEO: company is 'absolutely' safe, bankruptcy 'never the case'
If Crytek's "transitional phase" remains sustainable, it will become a go-to example among industry insiders of how not to handle such a difficult time. Speaking with Eurogamer, Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli opens up about how the company has shifted its strategy from retail to software as a service, which was clearly not handled internally with the transparency required to control chatter. "[Going] out of business or bankruptcy, in my mind, was never the case. We have tried to communicate this as much as we can to everybody. But I understand some employees of Crytek have been in other companies under similar situations and they have gone out of business," Yerli told Eurogamer. "We have a lot of substance in Crytek."
Crytek Ryses to the occasion to bring Son of Rome to PC
Ryse: Son of Rome has its ballistae and catapults aimed at the walls of the PC kingdom and developer/publisher Crytek expects to lay siege sometime this fall. What's more, Crytek is enlisting the aid of Dead Island series publisher, Deep Silver, which will handle boxed copies of the game. Er, uh ... boxes of ammunition, in keeping with the metaphor. The choice of co-publisher shouldn't come as too much of a surprise; following a "transitional phase" marked by multiple staff departures, Crytek offloaded the Homefront IP and a work-in-progress sequel called Homefront: The Revolution to Deep Silver just last month. It would seem the two companies are on friendly terms at the moment, and if that results in more people being offered the chance to play more games, we're okay with that. Ryse on PC will feature previously-released DLC, including the Colosseum Pack, the Mars' Chosen Pack, the Duel of Fates Pack and the Morituri Pack. PC players will also have access to the Ruins multiplayer map and the Legionnaire's Trust sword which were previously restricted to Day One Edition copies of the game. Lastly, the game will support 4K resolution, so you can take in the sights with absurd levels of detail. [Image: Crytek]
Crytek co-op monster-blasting game Hunt switches studios
Homefront: The Revolution won't be the only Crytek game changing hands, the German publisher/developer studio has revealed. Following up on today's news that the Homefront IP had shifted to publisher Deep Silver, Crytek has announced that work on Hunt: Horrors of the Gilded Age will move from Crytek's Austin studio to its Frankfurt location. "Crytek will retain a presence in Austin, with several staff members maintaining the CRYENGINE support team to assist North American licensees," Crytek said in a statement. "Employees who are not set to be part of that support team will be invited to apply for new positions at Crytek in Germany." You may remember Crytek USA as the team comprised of staff from Vigil, the development studio behind the Darksiders games. That property now rests with Nordic, who are still figuring out what to do with it ever since buying it in the wake of the THQ auction last year. [Image: Crytek]
Crytek calls financial situation a 'transitional phase'
Despite numerous reports and rumblings of staff departures and resignations, Crytek has remained quiet regarding the company's overall financial situation. Until now, that is. A statement provided by a Crytek representative to Games Industry International claims that the company has been going through a "transitional phase" as it moves from being a development studio to an online publisher. "Ultimately, with our organization, capitalization, portfolio and technologies we have now laid the foundations for securing Crytek's future - not just in the short term, but also long term," the note to Games Industry reads. "Through this period of speculation, we are thankful for the support and encouragement we've received from our community and our partners, and for the contribution all of our staff have made. We remain committed to doing what we are best known for and trying to develop the best interactive experiences and technology possible for everyone who loves gaming." The statement also claims that while Crytek has secured the necessary capital to move forward, the company "won't be communicating further details about our developments and progress." However, the note also closes with the hope that there will be positive news to share soon. So ... no news unless it's good news, then? [Image: Crytek]
Crysis 3, Ryse producer Mike Read departs Crytek
Crytek's exodus of company talent continues, as Ryse: Son of Rome and Crysis 3 producer Mike Read has left the studio, The Escapist reports. The Escapist notes that Read's recently updated LinkedIn profile no longer lists Crytek as his current employer. Read's Twitter bio additionally states that he is a "former producer" at Crytek. Read's departure follows up on the recent resignation of 11-year Crytek veteran Tiago Sousa, who now serves as Lead Rendering Programmer at id Software. Subsidiary Crytek UK also saw a number of departures last month, losing more than 30 employees and Homefront: The Revolution director Hasit Zala amid rumors of late staff payments. [Image: Crytek]
Report: Homefront: The Revolution's game director resigns
Homefront: The Revolution's future looks increasingly uncertain, judging by Kotaku's report that Hasit Zala has resigned from his role as Revolution's game director at Crytek UK. Kotaku's sources added that development manager Ben Harris left the studio this month, which is reflected by his LinkedIn profile listing the role as a past work experience. The report states that other unnamed employees have either left or are openly looking for work with other companies at this time. Zala's supposed departure follows a previous report that more than 30 employees have left Crytek UK since Revolution's development began in 2011, with departures supposedly being due to late payments. German magazine GameStar reported in June that Crytek was nearing bankruptcy, which was met with a denial from Crytek: "The information in those reports and in the GameStar article itself are rumors which Crytek deny." [Image: Crytek UK]
Warface faces a war on Steam
Steam users can also try to stare out Crytek's Warface, now that the online free-to-play shooter is available on the portal. Warface is already available on PC as well as Xbox 360, but the publisher will be hoping the addition of the Steam beta will provide a timely boost to the Cryengine game's 25 million registrants. Amid the Steam release and unsettling, albeit denied reports, it's been a busy old time for Crytek of late. In the last two months the German studio unveiled MOBA Arena of Fate, the Crytek UK-developed Homefront: The Revolution, and 19th century co-op action game Hunt: Horrors of the Gilded Age from Crytek USA. [Image: Crytek]
Report: Crytek UK in trouble, staff leaving
More than 30 employees have left Crytek UK since work began on Homefront: The Revolution in 2011, Eurogamer reports. The high turnover is due to staff being paid late numerous times, and the list of those who've left includes key art, design and programming employees, the site says. Crytek UK Managing Director Karl Hilton is leaving his position for a different role in the company, he told Kotaku. This week, German magazine GameStar reported that Crytek was nearing bankruptcy. Crytek denied the claim: "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." Homefront: The Revolution publisher Deep Silver has declined to comment on the situation. However, claims of trouble aren't contained to Crytek UK, Kotaku reports: Crytek's sequel to Xbox One launch game Ryse has been canceled, along with a slew of other games, including original prototypes. [Image: Deep Silver]
Crytek's Arena of Fate aims to change the MOBA as we know it
Crytek's new MOBA Arena of Fate is best described by our sister site Joystiq as a MOBA for people frustrated by MOBAs. Sitting down with Crytek Producer David Bowman at E3 this week, the Joystiq interview focuses on what makes AoF different from every other MOBA out there by removing the "toxic elements that exist in [...] some of the other products." How is this done, exactly? "The store is gone, getting the last hit on a minion doesn't matter, matches operate on a 20-minute countdown, and the first team to 10 points wins," according to the interview. Be sure to check out more on Arena of Fate as the game approaches beta later this summer.
Crytek's Arena of Fate is a MOBA for people frustrated by MOBAs
Imagine a first-person shooter game without a sprint or jump button - moment to moment you're still fragging your friends or foes, but the experience is just a touch more streamlined. Now imagine the same principle applied to a MOBA: The store is gone, getting the last hit on a minion doesn't matter, matches operate on a 20-minute countdown, and the first team to 10 points wins. In other words, a MOBA without many of the features that make ... well, a MOBA. Meet Crytek's Arena of Fate, a 5v5 MOBA which has been designed to reduce the conflict players experience not only with each other, but with the game itself. In the words of Crytek Publisher Producer David Bowman, AoF places strategic decisions into the metagame while pushing tactical decisions into immediate gameplay. Non-MOBA translation: Less homework, more crushing your enemies.
Crytek MOBA Arena of Fate will pull 30 characters from history's pages
Arena of Fate, Crytek's entry into the fast-growing MOBA genre, will feature 30 characters pulled from real-world history and legends, a company rep told Joystiq at E3. Little Red Riding Hood, Fenrir, Jack The Ripper and King Richard The Lionheart were all mentioned during a press briefing, while screenshots you can check out below include characters such as Arachne, Blackbeart, Grendel, the Chupacabra, Baron Samedi, Polyphemus, Van Helsing and Robin Hood. A press release issued last month announcing the game also listed Baron Münchausen and Frankenstein among the game's roster. That's 14 down, 16 to go. Mayhaps we'll see the awesome, incredible, mythical Jackalope when the game comes to PC and consoles [Image: Crytek]
Crytek's Hunt is a monster-hunting order from another mother
When THQ dissolved in the summer of last year, Vigil Games - the studio behind Darksiders - was facing the chopping block. The THQ-owned company was eventually swept up by Crytek, and the 35 employees from Vigil reformed as Crytek USA. Hunt: Horrors of the Gilded Age will be the studio's first game, and though it stands apart from Vigil's games, it's also standing on its own two feet. Hunt is an online, team-based third-person game set in the 1800s. You are a hunter - a person who tracks down and eliminates the things that go bump in the night. Witches, zombies, lizardmen and more are lurking in the shadows of history, and your job is to make sure these walking nightmares get put to rest.
Crytek's Hunt: Horrors of the Gilded Age takes co-op to the 19th century
Crytek's second unveiling in as many days is Hunt: Horrors of the Gilded Age, a four-player action game that combines the prosperous industrialization of the late 19th century with pistols, crossbows and a likely bestiary of beasties. Also noteworthy is the developer, Crytek USA, the studio largely formed by ex-employees of Darksiders studio Vigil Games. The third-person game focuses on a band of player hunters seeking out enemy creatures, and it sounds like there are survival horror element to the gameplay, reminiscent of Valve's Left 4 Dead. Crytek's Hunt also has a "special content generation system" which promises no two enemy encounters or environments will be the same. Crytek says Hunt is coming to "PC and consoles" with closed beta testing on PC later this year. The company also notes it's part of its nebulous "Games as a Service" program. So is Arena of Fate, and that's confirmed to be free-to-play. "In Hunt: Horrors of the Gilded Age, players will be counting their bullets and crying out for help as they delve deeper into the shadowy world we've created," said David Adams CEO of Crytek USA and former CEO of Vigil Games. "From the outset of the development process, we've poured our imaginations into the game so that everyone who plays Hunt will discover a challenging experience that feels fresh, captivating and rich in possibilities."
How guerrilla warfare works in Homefront: The Revolution
Not too long after Crytek UK began working on a sequel to Homefront, the developer started to get worried. Studio closures at THQ, rumors of the publisher's financial strain and whispers of the entire organization's dissolution overtook any news surrounding the company and its projects, including a follow-up to the commercially viable but critically lukewarm shooter by Kaos Studios. By the end of January 2013, THQ was dead, its properties scattered throughout the industry. But Crytek's management team belayed its developer's fears. Crytek emerged from the fire sale that ensued after THQ's demise half-a-million dollars lighter in the wallet, but owners of the Homefront franchise. Now, alongside co-publishing partner Deep Silver, Crytek finally feels at ease and sees the opportunity to create the Homefront game it always wanted to make.
Crytek's Homefront: The Revolution fights for freedom on PC, Xbox One, PS4 in 2015
Rumors of a resistance are true. Crytek's sequel to the 2011 shooter Homefront from developer Kaos Studios has been officially announced. Co-published by Crytek and Deep Silver, Homefront: The Revolution is coming to PC, Xbox One and PS4 sometime in 2015. Taking place four years into the occupation of the US by Korean forces – as portrayed in the original game – Homefront: The Revolution follows a new set of characters as they battle for freedom throughout the war-torn streets of Philadelphia. By recruiting resistance fighters and using guerrilla tactics in an open-world environment, players can terrorize KPA troops and attempt to gain the upper hand either alone or along with friends in online co-op. Crytek had originally been developing the sequel for THQ, prior to the publisher dissolving. When the publisher's properties were sold, Crytek purchased the franchise to preserve the work its team had put into the title. The Homefront sequel is in development at Crytek UK, formerly Free Radical.
Homefront: The Revolution appears on Swedish site [update: confirmed]
Homefront: The Revolution is the Crytek-developed, Deep Silver-published follow-up to THQ's 2011 game, according to a now removed listing. Official PlayStation Magazine reports Swedish site FZ listed the game as a first-person shooter due in 2015. Crytek acquired the Homefront property in 2011 following THQ going defunct. At the time, General Manager of Games Nick Button-Brown noted the company's purchase would allow Crytek UK (formerly Team Radical) to finish its work on Homefront 2. "The worst case scenario for us was that this situation meant that all that work just ended up being thrown into the bin," Button-Brown said back in 2013, "so we wanted to buy the IP to make sure the team can finish off the game they wish to make." Update: Deep Silver confirmed Homefront: The Revolution is coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC in 2015. Check out the details and announcement trailer here. [Image: Official PlayStation Magazine]
Ryse: Son of Rome DLC adds to Gladiator, Survival, Solo modes
There's a fresh batch of enemies to brutally murder in Ryse: Son of Rome, thanks to this week's launch of the Morituri Pack. Season pass holders can get help themselves right away, but anyone else will need to pay $7.99 to sink their blade into more waves of squishy, stab-susceptiple gladiators. Among the Morituri Pack's locales are three new arenas for Gladiator mode: "Beacon," a raid on a barbarian camp, "False Gods," which hosts battles in Egyptian temples, and "Revolution," which plays out among the ruins of the Roman Empire. Survival mode also gets new content in the form of The Forbidden Forest and Sulfur River stages. There are five arenas newly "optimized" for Solo mode as well, with Beacon, Revolution, False Gods, Market and Garden rounding out the offering. Don't worry if your armor's a bit stained after all this - Morituri offers fresh attire in the form of armor owned by Oswald, King of the Britons, which you'll surely keep clean of blood for all of 30 seconds. [Image: Crytek, Microsoft]
Full CryEngine now available through Steam
Did you know that Crytek has launched a CryEngine subscription service on Steam? Yup, it's true. So if you're a budding game developer, a modder, or someone who is curious about game dev tools, you can now play around with the tech behind MMOs like Aion, ArcheAge, and Star Citizen as well as a boatload of popular single-player games. Steam customers get full use of the engine for a $9.90 monthly fee. The "announcement means we are adding the first complete game development engine to Steam, with access to enough source code to allow the creation of any kind of PC game," Crytek director of business development Carl Jones explained. "We're also giving indie developers state-of-the-art tools that live within the same eco-system that they can choose to publish their games."
CryEngine license subscriptions now available on Steam
Developers and hobbyists alike can now purchase a license to use Crytek's CryEngine PC software via Steam to create their own video games. The software is available on a subscription basis, which Crytek revealed back in March as its "Engine as a service" plan, which doesn't affect the free, non-commercial software development kit it also offers. The engine added next-gen console support in August, and powers games like Crysis 3, Ryse: Son of Rome, and more recently, Crytek's upcoming free-to-play MOBA Arena of Fate. CryEngine comes in three tiers: one month at a rate of $9.90 per month, three months at nine percent off ($9.00) and six months at 16 percent off ($8.33). Crytek announced the plans one day after Epic revealed its own subscription model for Unreal Engine 4. Prospective developers can alternatively turn to software like GameMaker for casual and social games, which is also available on Steam. Sony announced partnerships in March to offer PS4 exporting tools for GameMaker: Studio in addition to MonoGame for free to licensed SCE developers. [Image: Crytek]
Crytek's 'Arena of Fate' pits Robin Hood against Joan of Arc
Crytek announced a new MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) game for PC and consoles today, Arena of Fate. The game gives players the chance to jump into 5-vs-5 battles using iconic characters from popular folklore and history like Robin Hood, Joan of Arc, Little Red Riding Hood, Frankenstein and Norse beast Fenrir. Arena of Fate is free to play and scheduled to enter its beta phase on PC this summer, with no word on which consoles the CryEngine-based game will eventually arrive on. Those interested in joining the game's beta can sign up on its official website. [Image: Crytek]
