Crytek Expands Kiev Office, Plans Original IP

Officials from noted German Far Cry independent developer Crytek (Far Cry, Crysis) have revealed that the company has expanded its Kiev office, transforming the facility into a full development studio focused on the creation of a new original IP. Crytek described the expansion as "the next strategic step in the growth of the company," with managing director Faruk Yerli further noting that the Kiev team "has undergone an intensive training period, and in that time they have made an invaluable contribution to our production in Frankfurt." According to the executive, the studio has been recruiting talent for the past year and a half. While few details surrounding the studio's new project have been announced, the developer did note that it will be based on its cutting edge CryENGINE 2 middleware, which was first shown off to the public during the Game Developers Conference in March. The engine's underlying technology and graphics capabilities have seen much press attention in recent months through its use in rendering the lush vegetation and photorealistic environments of Crytek's forthcoming Crysis. Yerli added: “Now that our CryENGINE 2 middleware has reached the point of maturity where it can be used to support both different types and styles of games, and run on multiple platforms, we thought it was the optimum time to begin work on a new project based on our own new and original intellectual property, and elevate the Kiev operation to full studio status."