Crystal Dynamics News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

Embracer Group has quite a few studios under its label. The company is now seemingly in a bind, ranging from various acquisitions and mergers. Financial struggles could be a real issue. In fact, it wasn’t long ago now that we had word of Volition Games shutting down completely. While Embracer Group is striving to restructure its plans going forward, a new round of layoffs has just occurred for another studio under their control. The latest was Crystal Dynamics, who were forced to see several jobs get cut. 

Crystal Dynamics, the game development studio best known for its work on the Tomb Raider, Gex, and Legacy of Kain series, confirmed yesterday (Wednesday, September 20) that it has parted ways with 10 employees “due to an internal restructuring”.

Crystal Dynamics has become the latest studio owned by Embracer Group to be hit with layoffs.

Embracer Group is a video game company which owns over 70 studios around the world. Things haven’t been looking good for its studios lately, as they have been suffering from layoffs and closures.

The Embracer Group has been struggling with financial issues in recent months, having failed to close an undisclosed deal worth $2 billion earlier in the year, in the wake of which the company announced that it would be shuttering studios, laying off employees, and cancelling unannounced games as part of a widespread restructuring program.

Glen Schofield, founder of Striking Distance Studios and director of its first game, The Callisto Protocol, has announced he is departing the company. Schofield is perhaps best known as the co-creator of the Dead Space franchise and the co-founder of Call of Duty developer Sledgehammer Games. Steve Papoutsis, who previously served as chief development officer and general manager for Striking Distance Studios, has been appointed as the new CEO.

Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics has confirmed ten employees have lost their jobs as part of an «internal restructuring» programme, following multiple accounts from employees that the studio had been hit with lay offs today.

Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics has suffered a wave of layoffs just months after insisting that the ongoing staff hemorrhage at parent company Embracer Group wouldn't affect the new Tomb Raider game or the studio's collaboration with The Initiative on the Perfect Dark reboot. 

Marvel's Avengers is gearing up to be delisted from digital storefronts at the end of the month, and Crystal Dynamics is giving players one last chance to pick it up digitally before it's gone for good.

The Marvel’s Avengers team is ending all support for the game on September 30. There won’t be any additional character DLC, story missions, or updates; its life as a game as a service (GaaS) is nearly over. If you have ever been interested to see what the fuss has been about, Marvel’s Avengers is a part of one last fire sale where you can pick it up for only a handful of dollars.

Marvel’s Avengers, Crystal Dynamics’ live service take on the comic-book superhero squad, is being pulled from sale at the end of the month. With just under two weeks left before it’s delisted, the game’s devs have knocked its price down to less than the price of a coffee.

Marvel's Avengers will soon be scrubbed from storefronts forever, but until then, you can pick up a copy for next to nothing. 

Marvel’s Avengers, the video game made by Crystal Dynamics, is having its last run with an incredible mega-sale.

Marvel's Avengers has been heavily discounted as support ends ahead of full delisting.

Marvel’s Avengers has seen its biggest price drop yet, in advance of the game being delisted later this month.

Official support for Marvel’s Avengers ends September 30, which means from that date you’ll no longer be able to buy Crystal Dynamics’ ill-fated superhero adventure. Thankfully, a dramatic sale is now in place — just in the nick of time.

Marvel’s Avengers is about to be removed from Steam and other digital storefronts, so developer Crystal Dynamics has lowered its price to the point it’s almost a free PC game. With a whopping 90% off, you can grab Marvel’s Avengers for the price of a coffee and secure it before it leaves Steam forever, as the Tomb Raider and Legacy of Kain developer lays out how support and events will work when the game is delisted at the end of September.

The first three Tomb Raider games are being remastered and re-released. The awkwardly named Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft refreshes the graphics, adds quality-of-life features, and will release next year on February 14th.

Nintendo has announced the Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered trilogy is coming to PS5, PS4, and Nintendo Switch on February 14, 2024.

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Borderlands developer Gearbox is reportedly up for sale by parent company Embracer Group. As per Reuters, the Swedish conglomerate is looking to restructure following a $2 billion (about Rs. 16,586 crore) deal with Saudi Arabia government-funded Savvy Games Group that fell through, earlier this year. The fallout resulted in the former cutting down on spending, in addition to closing down studios and laying off its employees. Having been acquired merely two-and-a-half years ago, Gearbox is now the latest victim, with some alleged third-party publishers expressing interest in acquiring the developer. No names were mentioned, though they were described as “international gaming groups.”

Less than two weeks after the surprise closure of Saints Row studio Volition, a Reuters report says Embracer Group is now looking to rid itself of Borderlands studio Gearbox Entertainment—not through a shutdown this time, but a sale.

Following a botched $2 billion deal, Swedish gaming conglomerate Embracer Group has been offloading studios — like Saints Row developer Volition — in an effort restructure the company. Its next target? Borderlands developer and publisher Gearbox Entertainment, Reuters reported on Monday.

By Jacob Kastrenakes, a deputy editor who oversees tech and news coverage. Since joining The Verge in 2012, he’s published 5,000+ stories and is the founding editor of the creators desk.

Gearbox, the U.S. game company behind the Borderlands series, is reportedly up for sale.

Embracer Group is considering selling off Gearbox Software, according to a new report.

Volition Games has shut down as part of Embracer Group’s ongoing restructuring. The studio, which has roots going back to 1993, is behind the Saint’s Row series, Red Faction, and Summoner.

Volition today revealed that their parent company, Embracer Group, is shutting down the Saints Row and Red Faction developer.

Volition Games is shutting down. The studio behind games like Saints Row, Summoner, Red Faction, and more is being shuttered by parent company Embracer Group.

Activision has unveiled a new-look Lara Croft who’s set to hit Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone as part of Season 5 Reloaded, and the design has certainly set tongues wagging within the Tomb Raider community.

Call of Duty’s current season has been a wild one so far, thanks to the addition of equippable dogs, the return of World War II veteran Snoop Dogg, and the option to play as Nicki Minaj in Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone. Season 5 of Call of Duty will also bring a welcome new surprise: Lara Croft from Tomb Raider as a new Operator.

The Call of Duty franchise continues its Fortnite-ification by announcing the latest playable character will be Tomb Raider star Lara Croft. The fictional grave robber will appear in Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare II, joining recent real-life playable characters like Nicki Minaj, Snoop Dogg, Kevin Durant and various characters from the Prime Video show The Boys, among others.

According to a new report from Axios, the Savvy Games Group was the other party in Embracer's much-touted $2 billion deal that fell apart. 

Voice actor Ben Starr, who recently voiced Final Fantasy 16 protagonist Clive Rosfield, has revealed that he would like to play the role of Raziel from Legacy of Kain if a new game in the franchise or a remake were to happen.

Danish studio Campfire Cabal has reportedly been shut down by parent company Embracer Group.

Embracer Group has shut down Campfire Cabal as the company begins closing down some of its development studios after announcing a few months back that a deal worth $2 billion fell through.

Saints Row’s third and potentially final expansion, A Song Of Ice And Dust, comes out August 8, developer Volition has announced.

The world is in the midst of a Tolkien renaissance.

By Ash Parrish, a reporter who has covered the business, culture, and communities of video games for seven years. Previously, she worked at Kotaku.