For 24 years, Cryptic Studios has been developing large MMORPGs in the USA. Currently, their last titles, the fantasy MMORPG Neverwinter Online and the sci-fi MMORPG Star Trek Online, are still active. However, another studio is now taking care of the games. It seems that the studio is now losing almost all of its employees. After the failure of an MMORPG related to Magic: The Gathering, the lights are going out.
For which MMORPGs is the gaming studio known? Cryptic Studios was responsible for second-tier MMORPGs in the USA. Generally, these are solid games that cater to a niche well, although they are sometimes criticized for their cash shops.
Especially free-to-play MMORPGs tend to increasingly rely on the cash shop as they age to better monetize the dwindling player base.
- Originally, they developed the superhero MMORPGs City of Heroes and Champions Online
- With Star Trek Online, they had a strong license and produced a solid, albeit somewhat outdated, sci-fi MMORPG. A MeinMMO editor played Star Trek Online for 1,000 hours.
- Neverwinter Online launched in 2010. The MMORPG set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons also came for Xbox and PS4, and it ran solidly for many years, until player numbers started to decline around 2020.
The MMORPG related to Magic was supposed to be huge but failed miserably
What was the problem? The “big next MMORPG” from Cryptic Studios was supposed to be Magic: Legends. With the license for Magic: The Gathering, they actually had a huge opportunity to develop a significant online RPG.
However, Magic: Legends died during development; it just never really worked out.
Without a new MMORPG and with the old games aging, the studio now seems to have no future left.
Cryptic Studios is being bought out and stripped
These are the new developments: Cryptic Studios has been part of “Perfect World” since 2011 – but this company was bought by the feared Swedish group Embracer Group in 2021, placing Cryptic Studios in a difficult situation.
The Embracer Group embarked on a brutal raiding spree, buying up companies everywhere, but then a central investor deal fell through, and since then, heads have been rolling. Studios that had been snatched up for a high price were suddenly sold off, projects were cancelled, and employees were laid off.
In November 2023, it was announced that there would be layoffs at Cryptic Studios – in March 2024, it was stated that the development of games by Cryptic Studios would be outsourced to other studios. Cryptic Studios was to “transition to a supporting role” and coach the new employees.
Six months later, it seems that this phase is now over. According to reports from the US site Massivelyop, almost all employees of Cryptic Studios have now been laid off. The future of the studio is uncertain.
The US site reports that many employees have left. The Twitch streamer for Star Trek Online, CasualSAB, reports that the layoffs were extensive and almost all remaining employees at Cryptic were let go. The development had been indicated back in March: Studio has been developing major MMORPGs for 24 years related to Star Trek, Neverwinter – now it is on the verge of closure
