Undisclosed number of staff lose their jobs as result of cost-cutting measures
Cryptic Studios, the makers ofMMOsincludingStar Trek Onlineand Dungeons & Dragons MMORPGNeverwinter, have confirmed a number of layoffs due to the ongoing “comprehensive restructuring” of megacorp owner Embracer Group. The “personnel changes” at Cryptic make them the latest Embracer-owned developer to suffer job losses in what continues to be an unrelenting year for thousands of those working in video games.
Reports of layoffs at the veteran MMO outlet surfaced in October after devs including narrative director Winter Mullenix, senior game designer Jesse Heinig, senior technical artist Chris Penny and community manager Mike Fatum posted social media updates that indicated they were looking for work. Mullenix’sstatusadded that the layoffs were “due to a reduction in workforce”.
Cryptic have since confirmed toGamesIndustry.bizthat an undisclosed number of the studio’s 100-plus employees have been laid off, stating that “our commitment to Embracer’s directive to reduce costs requires us to undertake difficult personnel changes, including separating from some team members”
Among other Cryptic devs confirmed to be affected are VP of game development Andre Emerson, sound designer Nigel Athanasios Wilson, producer Miles Deponty, senior environment artist Patrick Poage, senior concept artist Kelly Perry, senior concept artist Ahmed Rawi and senior UI/UX designer Jules Norcross.
Alongside the layoffs, Cryptic will now operate underfree-to-playpublisher-developer DECA Games following the restructuring, putting their games alongside MMO shooterRealm of the Mad Godand mobile games including DragonVale, Crime City and Kingdom Age.
“Cryptic Studios will provide job assistance and support those impacted to smooth this transition,” a studio spokesperson said. “Cryptic remains dedicated to supporting its cornerstone free-to-play games and the communities behind them."
Before Cryptic, Embracer’s sweeping layoffs have hit Baldur’s Gate Enhanced devs Beamdog -mere days after the studio’s cartoony co-op shooter MythForce released- Tomb Raider devs Crystal Dynamics, Borderlands studio Gearbox and Pinball FX makers Zen Studios, among others. Studios closed entirely includestoried Saints Row developers Volitionand narrative RPG studio Campfire Cabal - the latter less than a year after it was founded by former Hitman andHunt: Showdowndevs.
