Crytek

Template:Use British English
Template:Use dmy dates

* Avni Yerli
 Products | * CryEngine
* *Far Cry*

**Crytek GmbH** is a German video game developer and software developer based in Frankfurt. Founded by the Yerli brothers in Coburg in September 1999 and moved to Frankfurt in 2006, Crytek also operates further studios in Kiev and Istanbul. Its former studios included Crytek Black Sea in Sofia, Crytek UK in Nottingham, and Crytek USA in Austin, Texas. The company is best known for developing the first instalment of the *Far Cry* series (subsequent sequels and spin-offs being developed by Ubisoft Montreal) and the *Crysis* series, the open world nature of their games which showcase the company's CryEngine, and for pushing the limits on PC specifications to achieve advanced graphics and gameplay.

### 1999–2004: CryEngine and *Far Cry*

Crytek was founded by the German-Turkish brothers Cevat, Avni and Faruk Yerli in September 1999 in Coburg, Germany. One of their first projects was a tech demo of a game called *X-Isle: Dinosaur Island*, which showcased their game engine technology that allowed for large viewing distances that other game engines could not do, at that time. They met with NVIDIA during the 1999 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) where their tech demo caught the attention of NVIDIA and various media groups. Crytek later signed on with NVIDIA to distribute *X-Isle* as benchmarking software for NVIDIA cards.

Crytek's first major game project was *Engalus*, a first-person shooter with a cyberpunk theme and role-playing elements, which was first privately shown at E3 2000. The project first attracted publicity for the company at the 2000 ECTS with their tech demo at the NVIDIA booth, but was subsequently cancelled. Crytek was approached by Ubisoft to develop *X-Isle* into a full AAA game. This evolved into *Far Cry*, which was released in March 2004. Alongside this, Crytek announced their licensable game engine, CryEngine, that was used for *X-Isle* and *Far Cry*.

In February 2004, German police carried out a morning raid on Crytek offices, acting on an ex-intern's claim that Crytek was using software illegally. The police investigated for more software copies than licences purchased, but no charges were pressed. That same month, Crytek and Electronic Arts (EA) announced a strategic partnership to develop a new gaming franchise based on the CryEngine, which would eventually be the *Crysis* series. Crytek opted in this direction to showcase that the CryEngine was not limited to just what *Far Cry* had shown. Due to this partnership, Ubisoft acquired the full rights to the *Far Cry* franchise by 2006 as well as a perpetual licence to the first CryEngine, which they have since adapted into their own Dunia Engine. In December 2004, Crytek and ATI created a special cinematic machinima to demonstrate the future of PC gaming.

### 2004–2014: Company expansion, CryEngine 2 and 3, and later games

In January 2006, Crytek announced the development of *Crysis*, promising that it would be an original first-person shooter with a new kind of gameplay challenge requiring "adaptive tactics". The game later won several Best PC Game awards from E3 and Games Convention. In April 2006, Crytek moved to new offices in Frankfurt. The first public demonstration of Crytek's CryEngine 2 was in January 2007, one year after *Crysis* was announced. It has been licensed by many companies such as Avatar Reality, WeMade Entertainment, Entropia Universe, XLGames, Reloaded Studios.

On 11 May 2006, Crytek announced that their satellite studio in Kiev, Ukraine, had been upgraded to a full development studio, giving the company its second development studio. About a week after the upgrade of the Kiev studio, Crytek announced a new studio in Budapest, Hungary.

*Crysis* was released in November 2007. In September 2008, an expansion to *Crysis* entitled *Crysis Warhead* was released as a PC-exclusive game. In October 2011, *Crysis* was released on some consoles, allowing play of the original game via Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network.

On 14 July 2008, Crytek bought Black Sea Studios and renamed it to Crytek Black Sea. On 17 November 2008, Crytek opened an office in South Korea named Crytek, Ltd. On 3 February 2009, Crytek purchased Free Radical Design, a British video game company known for the *TimeSplitters* series, and renamed the company to Crytek UK.

In March 2009, Crytek announced on the company's website that it would introduce CryEngine 3 at the 2009 Game Developers Conference. This new engine was developed for use on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PCs. In October 2009, CryEngine 3 became available in trade flow for game developers. In March 2010, CryEngine 3 was made compatible with stereoscopic 3D technology. Crytek released *Crysis 2*, a direct sequel to the original game, in March 2011.

At E3 2011, Crytek exhibited several new projects, including the action game *Ryse: Son of Rome*. In September 2011, THQ and Crytek announced a partnership to develop *Homefront 2*. After THQ filed for bankruptcy, Crytek acquired the *Homefront* franchise from THQ entirely in January 2013. In February 2012, Crytek announced a new cloud based social gaming network called Gface. The service is designed to help users meet people and play multiplayer video games with friends. Crytek began researching a cloud gaming system in 2005 for *Crysis*, but paused development in 2007.

In April 2012, Crytek released the CryEngine 3.4 SDK which brought full DirectX 11 support to the CryEngine SDK. Crytek released *Crysis 3* in February 2013 and *Ryse: Son of Rome* in November 2013 as an Xbox One launch title. The PC version of *Ryse* was released in October 2014.

On 17 January 2013, Crytek officially opened an office in Istanbul. On 28 January 2013, Crytek opened a new studio in Austin, Texas, Crytek USA, consisting primarily of former Vigil Games employees.

### Since 2014: Restructuring, new leadership, CryEngine 4 and V, and latest games

In June 2014, reports surfaced that Crytek had missed wage payments and withheld bonuses for Crytek UK and Crytek USA employees, and the company responded that it was in a "transitional phase" as it secured capital for future projects, with a particular emphasis on online gaming. In July 2014, Crytek announced a strategic deal where the rights to *Homefront* including *Homefront: The Revolution* and the Crytek UK staff were transferred to Koch Media. The team continued its work on the game as the new Deep Silver Dambuster Studios. Crytek USA was restructured to remain an engine support team while development of *Hunt: Horrors of the Gilded Age* was transferred to Crytek.

On 20 December 2016, Crytek announced that their studios in Hungary, Bulgaria, South Korea and China would be shut down. On 7 March 2017, Crytek sold Crytek Black Sea to Sega and The Creative Assembly. On 28 February 2018, Crytek announced that Cevat Yerli was stepping down as chief executive officer (CEO) of Crytek, with his brothers, Avni and Faruk Yerli, taking over the company's leadership as joint CEOs. Cevat continues to support the company as an advisor and major shareholder. The development of CryEngine 4 was followed by CryEngine V.

Crytek is working on two projects: *Hunt: Showdown* (utilizing the fifth generation of the CryEngine), and updates for the previously released free-to-play game *Warface*. The company has also worked on two virtual reality projects, namely *The Climb* for the Oculus Rift and *Robinson: The Journey* for the PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift and SteamVR. *Arena of Fate* was cancelled after Crytek's restructuring which saw the game's developer Crytek Black Sea sold.

## Subsidiaries

* Crytek Kiev in Kiev, Ukraine — founded in 2006.
* Crytek Istanbul in Istanbul, Turkey — founded in 2012.

### Former

* Crytek Black Sea in Sofia, Bulgaria — founded in 2001 as Black Sea Studios; acquired and renamed in 2008; sold to Sega in 2017.
* Crytek Budapest in Budapest, Hungary — founded in 2007, closed in 2016.
* Crytek Seoul in Seoul, South Korea — founded in 2008, closed in 2016.
* Crytek Shanghai in Shanghai, China — founded in 2012, closed in 2016.
* Crytek UK in Nottingham, England — founded in 1999 as Free Radical Design; acquired and renamed in 2009; sold to Deep Silver in 2014.
* Crytek USA in Austin, Texas, U.S. — founded in 2013, closed in 2014.

## References

1. ↑ ""The transformation was painful. We paid the price"". http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-08-08-the-transformation-was-painful-we-paid-the-price.
2. ↑ Fröhlich, Petra (10 January 2020). "Die größten Spiele-Entwickler in Deutschland 2020" (in de). https://www.gameswirtschaft.de/wirtschaft/groesste-spiele-entwickler-deutschland-2020/.
3. ↑ "Crytek closes five studios after rough year". http://kotaku.com/crytek-closes-five-studios-after-rough-year-1790315044.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Hall, Charlie (11 July 2013). "THE STORY OF CRYTEK: FROM X-ISLE THROUGH REDEMPTION". *Polygon*. https://www.polygon.com/features/2013/7/11/4503782/crytek-x-isle-redemption. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
5. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (7 February 2013). "Crytek's canceled FPS was a cyberpunk adventure of 'Half-Life meets Metal Gear Solid'". https://www.polygon.com/2013/2/7/3963986/cryteks-canceled-fps-was-a-cyberpunk-adventure-of-half-life-meets.
6. ↑ "Crytek Raided". http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/02/05/crytek-responds-to-raid.
7. ↑ Steel, Wade (30 March 2006). "UBISOFT ACQUIRES RIGHTS TO FAR CRY". *IGN*. http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/03/30/ubisoft-acquires-rights-to-far-cry. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
8. ↑ "Crytek and ATI Demo". Archived from the original on 4 November 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20071104120026/http://ati.amd.com/gitg/promotions/crytek/index.html.
9. ↑ "Crysis Announced". Archived from the original on 6 April 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060406174905/http://www.crytek.com/news/story.php?id=9&p=0&n=pr&t=1.
10. ↑ Crytek bought Black Sea Studios Template:Webarchive
11. ↑ "Crytek Opens South Korean Office". *Shacknews*. http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/55978. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
12. ↑ "Crytek Buys TimeSplitters Dev. Free Radical". *Shacknews*. http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/57079. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
13. ↑ "Crytek Announces CryENGINE 3". Crytek. 11 March 2009. Archived from the original on 23 March 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090323125304/http://www.crytek.com/news/news/?tx\_ttnews%5Btt\_news%5D=143. Retrieved 12 March 2009.
14. ↑ "Crytek CryENGINE 3 trade begins". Hardwired. 14 October 2009. http://hardwired.hu/index.php#news\_23321. Retrieved 14 October 2009.
15. ↑ "CryTek Adds Stereoscopic 3D To Its Game Engine". ApertureGames. 14 October 2009. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110707153336/http://aperturegames.com/listnews.php?story=crytek-adds-stereoscopic-3d-to-its-game-engine. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
16. ↑ Kietzmann, Ludwig (20 September 2011). "Crytek developing Homefront sequel with THQ". Joystiq. http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/20/homefront-2-developed-by-crytek/. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
17. ↑ "THQ Dissolved, Saints Row, Company of Heroes Devs Acquired". http://ca.ign.com/articles/2013/01/23/thq-dissolved-saints-row-company-of-heroes-darksiders-devs-acquired. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
18. ↑ "Gface, Crytek-backed streaming game network, goes into beta". Joystiq. 5 February 2012. http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/05/gface-crytek-backed-streaming-game-network-goes-into-beta/. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
19. ↑ Fletcher, JC (5 February 2012). "Gface, Crytek-backed streaming game network, goes into beta". Joystiq. http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/05/gface-crytek-backed-streaming-game-network-goes-into-beta/. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
20. ↑ Sandberg, Adam (2 April 2009). "Crytek was way ahead of OnLive". That VideoGame Blog. http://www.thatvideogameblog.com/2009/04/02/crytek-was-way-ahead-of-onlive/. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
21. ↑ Dobra, Andrei (27 April 2009). "Crytek Attempted Cloud Gaming Way Before OnLive". Softpedia. http://news.softpedia.com/news/Crytek-Attempted-Cloud-Gaming-Way-Before-OnLive-110232.shtml. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
22. ↑ "CryEngine 3.4 SDK, Crytek today announced the arrival of a feature-filled update to its award-winning game development solution, CryENGINE 3.". Crytek. 13 April 2012. http://www.crytek.com/news/free-cryengine-3-sdk-34-available-83f5fe2d8779a3a429944ed17b55db42. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
23. ↑ "Crysis 3 Release Date Announced". GameSpy. http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/crysis-3/1226870p1.html.
24. ↑ "Xbox One to Launch on 22 November 2013 in 13 Markets". Xbox. http://news.xbox.com/2013/09/xbox-one-launch.
25. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
26. ↑ "Crytek". Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150926040209/http://www.crytek.com/news/crytek-continues-to-expand-with-the-arrival-of-crytek-istanbul. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
27. ↑ "How Crytek hired the ex-Vigil team (and formed a new studio) based on one meeting", *VentureBeat*. Retrieved on 3 April 2013.
28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 "Crytek Outlines Future Plans and Focuses on Return to Core Competencies". 15 June 2015. http://www.crytek.com/news/crytek-outlines-future-plans-and-focuses-on-return-to-core-competencies. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
29. ↑ "Crytek sells Black Sea studio in Bulgaria to Sega and The Creative Assembly". https://venturebeat.com/2017/03/07/crytek-sells-black-sea-studio-in-bulgaria-to-sega-and-the-creative-assembly/.
30. ↑ "The CEO of Crytek has stepped down". 28 February 2018. https://www.polygon.com/2018/2/28/17062472/crytek-cevat-yerli-steps-down-new-leadership-ceo. Retrieved 28 February 2018.

## External links

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* Template:Official website

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