Crytek Open New NA Studio, Vigil Employees Hired
Crytek announced today that they would be opening their first North American studio, called Crytek USA and located in Austin, Texas. It will also be run by David Adams, co-founder of the (sadly) closed studio known as Vigil. Vigil fell victim to the THQ crisis last week when their studio was left with no interest from other companies.
The studio will also house an additional 35 developers, IGN reached out to Crytek and were given great news. “We can confirm that the 35 developers are former Vigil Games employees.” which is terrific news for those affected by the studios closure. Gamasutra also asked if this new studio is basically a resurrection of Vigil Games, which Crytek’s Jen Schafer replied that the studio is “more like a new start for [the team at Vigil].”
This is amazing news for fans of Vigil Games and an extremely kind move from Crytek themselves, in times of need it’s reassuring to see that the video games industry sticks together to help one another.
Regarding the studio itself, “Crytek has always enjoyed a special relationship with gamers and business partners in North America, so establishing a permanent presence in the US was a natural step,“spoke Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli “We are extremely excited about the work that we will be undertaking from our strategic new location in Austin, with David Adams and his team of 35 experienced developers. We believe our CryENGINE technology will enable the team we assemble to create unparalleled new gaming experiences.”
David Adams himself also spoke out regarding the new studio, stating he is “thrilled to be a part of the newest Crytek studio“. Crytek made sure to note that the opening of Crytek USA “paves the way for exciting new opportunities” expanding on their already impressive list of studios. Crytek USA joins the likes of Ukraine, Hungary, Bulgaria, South Korea, China, Germany, Istanbul and the UK who all house a Crytek studio.
Crytek has certainly stated its claim as being a major player in the gaming industry, also purchasing the rights to the Homefront franchise at the THQ auction for only $500,000. What could this mean for Crytek? Could this possibly mean Crytek will be interesting in the Darksiders IP when THQ auction their back catalog of titles? This is all speculation, but it is very exciting and heartwarming nonetheless.
Jamie Briggs manages Analog Addiction where you can find all his latest reviews, interviews and features and also like them on Facebook. Also follow his daily life on Twitter @AnalogAddiction and their videos on YouTube.