Overview
Crytek is a German video game company founded in 1999 by three Turkish brothers: Cevat Yerli, Faruk Yerli and Avni Yerli. They started their company to create a competitive game-engine that would hold up to id Software's Quake-Engine and Epic's Unreal-Engine, which dominated the PC market at that time.
In 2000, they presented a first tech-demo at the NVidia booth at the European Computer Trade Show in London. Thanks to the overwhelming feedback they continued to develop on the demo and eventually decided to create a full-blown FPS which became FAR CRY. The CryEngine series, particularly with the Crysis series, was known for featuring the most technically advanced real-time graphics of the late 2000s.
Expansion
Over time Crytek expanded past its original studio in Frankfurt opening studios in Kiev, Budapest, Seoul, Shanghai, and Austin. In addition to these studios it would go on to acquire Black Sea Studios, renaming it Crytek Black Sea. As well as famed Free Radical Design, renaming it Crytek UK.
2014 Restructure
In 2014 amidst news of delayed wages, Crytek decided to sell its ownership of the Homefront intellectual property to publisher Deep Silver's parent company, Koch Media. This sale would also come with the closure of Crytek UK, whose staff were able to transfer to the newly formed Dambuster Studios to continue the development of the game started at Crytek UK, Homefront: The Revolution.
During this same restructuring, Crytek Austin was also shut down, with the development duties of Hunt: Horrors of the Gilded Age being carried on by the Frankfurt studio.
2016 Restructure
On December 20th, 2016 Crytek communicated in a press release that they would be concentrating their future development efforts in the Frankfurt and Kiev studios. All other studios are expected to be shuttered.
Log in to comment