CryEngine developer Crytek is closing five studios and is paying its employees late. This is not the first time a situation like this happened to the company. However, this is the worst that it has happened, leaving only two studios running.
Crytek to Close Five Studios
Crytek will close its studios in Shanghai, Bulgaria, Seoul, Istanbul, and Budapest. This leaves only its Studios in Frankfurt and Ukraine running, Polygon reported.
The remaining studios in Frankfurt, Germany and Kieve, Ukraine develop the company's free-to-play shooter game called "Warfare."
The company released a statement saying it is part of its effort to shift its focus back on its core strengths. The company didn't make it clear whether those studios will be shut down entirely, but their press release stated that employees in those areas are now looking for new jobs.
Avni Yerli, Crytek's managing director, said that they are now focused on innovative game creation, advancement of technology, and world-class developers, which he said is the company's core strengths.
Paychecks Slow to Arrive Worse than Before
Meanwhile, there are reports that the wages of the workers in Crytek's Frankfurt headquarters has not yet arrived for three months, Engadget reported. Workers in Sofia and Budapest haven't received their salaries too. According to reports, payments have come in late for the whole year and the management hasn't communicated on the reason and when the pay will arrive.
Employees have received their October pay just last week, while they expect to get their November pay this week. The money is reportedly coming through Mail.ru, which is the Russian internet company rumored to acquire Crytek's "Warfare."
In 2014, Crytek went through the same situation. To handle the issue, it sold its UK Studio to Deep Silver, the publisher of "Metro: Last Light." Crytek also sold the rights of its "Homefront: The Reolution" to Deep Silver.
