Crytek, the studio behind hit games like FarCry and Crysis, is in serious trouble. According to an employee, the studio has not paid their staff for six months without any clarification on what the issue is. If Crytek's issues with salary continues, the company is expected to shut down unless another company would buy the studio. According to reports, Microsoft could possibly the one that could potentially buy the company.
Issue brewing in Crytek
The anonymous employee recently posted on Reddit about his complaints with Crytek and is seeking for some legal advice regarding the matter. According to the employee, this is the longest period that the staff from Crytek have not been paid. The frustrated employee is not sure whether the management is being paid or informed about the situation while the rest of them have been left without anything.
Can Microsoft answer Crytek's problem?
They were informed that their salaries will be paid soon, but it will always be delayed. The post also mentioned that the salary is affecting all of Crytek's offices. Currently, Microsoft is in need of a first party developer and Crytek could possibly fit that void.
Crytek's history of issues
This isn't the first time Crytek had issues with regards to their employees. Back in 2014, Crytek also had delays on their salary payment. This was made in order to keep the company alive as it was also experiencing some financial issues at that time. The company was later on saved when an unnamed benefactor gave them some funds.
But afterward, Crytek had to cut down the company from 900 to 700 employees, along with having to close down the US and UK offices. This closure also caused the cancellation of Ryse 2, the sequel to Xbox One's launch game Ryse: Son of Rome. So we can assume that the said unnamed benefactor has stopped funding the studio, which would also explain the recent salary problems that the company is experiencing now. Microsoft could possibly be the next benefactor if they are willing to do so.
Crytek's amazing quality of games
Although Crytek hasn't released a hit game since Crysis 3, the CryEngine is also an asset that still makes them a valuable studio. Using the CryEngine, Crytek has developed the most technically demanding games that are universally praised for its amazing graphics. Games that have been released years ago are still being used on testing benchmarks for recent graphic cards.
Will Microsoft buy Crytek for Scorpio?
Microsoft is currently developing its latest Console, the Xbox Scorpio, which has been said to be the most powerful console yet to hit the market. If Microsoft does buy Crytek and gain access towards their CryEngine, then the collaboration between the two companies would definitely help both causes.
Win-win for both companies
If the rumor proves true, Microsoft will gain a new first party developer that possesses a powerful engine that Microsoft can develop games with. With that, Crytek will be afloat yet again. It's a win-win situation for both Microsoft and Crytek
