Tomb Raider Developer Crystal Dynamics Announces Layoffs

Over the last few weeks, a number of companies owned by Embracer Group have been hit with closures and layoffs. Following last month's closure of Saint's Row developer Volition, a new wave of layoffs has been announced at Crystal Dynamics. The Tomb Raider developer confirmed on Twitter that it has parted ways with 10 employees, nine in brand/marketing and one in IT. In the same Tweet, the company noted that it is looking to help these employees find new opportunities at other companies.

"Crystal Dynamics made the difficult decision to part ways with 9 Brand/Marketing and 1 IT employee today due to internal restructuring to align the studio with our current business needs. We are working directly with the affected staff to fully support them," the company's statement reads. The Tweet goes on to note an email address where companies can reach out with potential openings related to these positions. 

Embracer Group in 2023

Crystal Dynamics was owned by Square Enix through 2022, when the company was sold to Embracer Group for $300 million, alongside a number of different franchises. The purchase of Crystal Dynamics was one of several high-profile ones made by Embracer that same year, including video game publisher Limited Run Games, as well as Dark Horse Media. That spending spree has significantly cooled off in 2023, after a reported $2 billion deal fell through. Since then, Embracer has spent the last several months making efforts to restructure, and is reportedly looking to sell off Borderlands developer Gearbox Entertainment. All of these sudden shifts suggest that things are turbulent at Embracer, and it remains to be seen how things will shake out once the restructuring effort comes to an end.

Crystal Dynamics Games

Crystal Dynamics is best known for its work on the Tomb Raider series, as well as 2020's Marvel's Avengers. Tomb Raider is one of the well-regarded franchises in gaming, and has seen a lot of attention over the last year alone. Series protagonist Lara Croft has made appearances in a number of different games, and a collection of Tomb Raider remasters was announced for modern platforms last week. A wholly-new Tomb Raider game is currently in development at Crystal Dynamics, and the studio is also helping out on the Xbox reboot of Perfect Dark.

Embracer clearly sees the potential of Tomb Raider, and a number of projects are currently in the works, including a live-action series from Amazon. Given that, it seems unlikely that Crystal Dynamics will face the same fate as Embracer owned studios like Volition. Things have clearly been turbulent at Embracer over the last few months, but hopefully things will settle down and the employees at these studios can continue to focus on what they do best.

Are you disappointed about the layoffs at Crystal Dynamics? What do you think of the Tomb Raider franchise? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

[H/T: Eurogamer]