Crystal Dynamics Lays Off 17 Employees Despite Working on New Tomb Raider and Perfect Dark

Crystal Dynamics announces layoffs of 17 employees. Studio known for Tomb Raider, Legacy of Kain and Gex series, called the decision a “difficult but necessary step” that will help “better align with current business goals” and “ensure future success.” The dismissals are not related to the professional qualities of the victims, and they have been offered transition packages and employment assistance.

The developers emphasize that the current plans for the games will not change. The following remain in production new part of Tomb Raider published by Amazon Games and Perfect Dark for Xbox, developed in partnership with The Initiative. Both games use engine Unreal Engine 5 to improve performance, and Perfect Dark recently received a new creative director, Brian Horton, formerly of Insomniac Games.

Recall that the previous wave of layoffs at Crystal Dynamics took place in 2023 and affected 9 people in the marketing department. At the same time, the parent company Embracer Group carried out large-scale restructuring, closing projects and laying off employees in subsidiary studios.