Cryptic Studios cutting jobs again: "Some wonderful people are being let go, through no fault of their own"
Cryptic Studios, owned by Swedish holding company Embracer Group, appears to have started a new round of layoffs. However, the extent of the cuts currently remains unclear.
Star Trek Online
- Several Cryptic Studios developers reported layoffs on LinkedIn (spotted by Game Developer). Those affected will no longer be employed by the company after October 31.
- Senior artist Mauricio Tejerina, who worked at Cryptic for more than 10 years, noted that “it’s important to remind ourselves that we are not responsible for this outcome. We are hard-working and dedicated game developers who just need the right opportunity to continue doing what we do best.”
- Other workers impacted by the layoffs include people in a variety of positions and experience levels. Among them are character artist Amelia March, senior community manager Mike Fatum, external development manager Olivia Sullivan, principal animator Steve Stacy, lead technical producer Brent Lamb,
- Star Trek Online art director Thomas Marrone confirmed the recent job cuts on social media, saying that “some wonderful people are being let go, through no fault of their own.”
- Senior environment artist Nick Duguid, who has been with Cryptic for nearly two decades, also noted that “Cryptic is being hit by layoffs, yet again.”
Cryptic Studios hasn’t commented on the layoffs, so it is unclear what the reasons behind this decision were. The new round comes almost a year after the studio cut an undisclosed number of jobs as part of Embracer Group’s restructuring program. Overall, the Swedish company has laid off over 1,500 employees since June 2023, not to mention the divestments of Saber Interactive and Gearbox.
Founded in 2000, Cryptic Studios was snapped up by Embracer Group in February 2022 as part of the Perfect World Entertainment acquisition. The US-based developer is based known for MMO games like City of Heroes, Star Trek Online, and Neverwinter.
