Myst developer Cyan Worlds has laid off half of its workforce
Cyan Worlds, the Washington-based developer of the iconic PC adventure game Myst and its sequel Riven has confirmed that it has laid off half of its team due to current "industry conditions."
The details:
In a statement posted to the studio's X account, it confirmed that "despite its best efforts," it has been forced to lay off 12 of its employees after finding itself in "a tricky spot" due to the current "month-to-month realities of game development in 2025." “Industry conditions have forced us into a tricky spot where we are having to weigh the future health of our studio against the month-to-month realities of game development in 2025," the studio wrote. “Throughout the past year, we have been ultra-transparent with the entire Cyan team about the choppy waters we find ourselves in, as well as the dangers ahead. While the news of a layoff was not a surprise to the team, it was (and is) still deeply saddening for all of us."
Cyan has confirmed that it has "done [its] best to pad the landing for those affected," with former employees receiving appropriate severance packages. The studio has also stated that it has no plans to close its doors anytime soon after over 37 years of operation and will continue to work on securing funding for its next title. "We've been around for a very long time, and have been through tough times before," Cyan wrote. "Our sincere hope is to continue to be around, and to provide the types of experiences that only Cyan can deliver."
In the first three months of 2025, approximately 1,200 jobs have been lost in the gaming industry, including cuts at PlayStation, NetEase, Ubisoft, and, most recently, Tomb Raider studio Crystal Dynamics. Speaking at GDC earlier this month, Helldivers 2 director Johan Pilestadt criticized publishers for failing to create unique experiences, resulting in "unnecessarily brutal" layoffs when games flop at launch.
More gaming news:
Nintendo has announced Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, a Switch sequel to 2014's 3DS social simulator Tomodachi Life.
Ubisoft and Tencent have formed a new subsidiary focused on Assassin's Creed, Rainbow Six, and Far Cry.
