The developer of the Crysis series and Hunt: Showdown, Crytek, has recently announced that the option to work remotely will now be “permanent.” Within the press release, Crytek stated, “Development on games including the award-winning Hunt: Showdown and the recently announced Crysis 4 stayed on track, keeping pace with Crytek’s pre-pandemic game productions. After engaging with employees about how they wish to work going forward, Crytek is pleased to confirm that remote work will continue to be an option for current and future colleagues.” This update in policy will now allow Crytek to employ talent from anywhere in the world, just as long as they have a “reliable internet connection.”
However, some employees are still required to come in-person and some may desire to work in-office as well. Crytek stated this about being in-person:
Staff currently working from home represent 80% of Crytek’s workforce, with remote working already supported in the USA, India, Brazil, China, the Philippines, and across Europe. Employees and candidates whose role qualifies for the work from home option may live wherever they wish in the world, as long as they have a reliable internet connection. Those who prefer the benefits of working from an office on a full-time or part-time basis can work from Crytek’s headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, or its studio in Istanbul, Turkey.
With the COVID-19 pandemic and potential QA workers unions, video game companies may start drifting towards mainly working remotely, while still maintaining some offices like Crytek. Two weeks ago, Bungie, the developer of Destiny 2, announced the company has already shifted towards mainly working from home. Activision Blizzard already experienced an employee walkout over forcing employees to come back to the office with little to no mask or vaccine requirements. With a world that might have to permanently, or at least temporarily, adjust to the threat of COVID-19, working remotely to protect workers and their rights might become the new video game industry norm.