Embracer Group layoffs hit Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics

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.

Senior brand manager Nicholas Edwards announced his departure from Crystal Dynamics in a message shared on LinkedIn, revealing he was “one of a number of people impacted by the latest round of Embracer layoffs” at the studio. Edwards noted today’s job cuts had affected a broad spread of departments, including PR, project management, 2D art, and video editing.

Crystal Dynamics’ communications director Adam Kahn also confirmed he’d been affected by today’s layoffs, as did senior community and social media manager Neha Nair. “After 3.5 years at Crystal Dynamics,” Nair wrote, “I was laid off today.”

Following those initial employee accounts of layoffs at Crystal Dynamics, the studio – which is currently working on a new Tomb Raider game for Amazon and assisting with Microsoft’s Perfect Dark reboot – confirmed the news on social media.

“Crystal Dyanmics made the difficult decision to part ways with nine brand/marketing and one IT employee today due to an internal restructuring to align the studio with our current business needs,” it wrote. “We are working directly with the affected staff to support them.”

News of today’s layoffs comes as Crystal Dynamics owner Embracer Group continues its previously announced “comprehensive restructuring programme” in light of ongoing financial challenges. Last month Embracer revealed it would be shutting down Saints Row developer Volition Games “effective immediately”, and news began circulating last night that 26 employees at the Embracer-owned Beamdog, the studio behind the recently released Mythforce, had lost their jobs on Friday.

Additionally, Embracer confirmed it was considering selling Borderlands developer Gearbox as part of its restructuring efforts earlier this month, while yesterday saw the Embracer-owned Saber Interactive announce it would be ceasing development on last year’s multiplayer Evil Dead game, and that a planned Switch version has now been cancelled.