Myst and Riven developer Cyan Worlds laid off an undisclosed variety of staffers this week, including to the checklist that started in March when it laid off 12 individuals, or “roughly half” of its staff.
Cyan introduced the layoffs on Bluesky, the place it additionally shared contact and experience details about the workers in a working Google document the studio began with its final layoff spherical, with the intent of serving to these staffers discover new jobs. That doc now consists of the names of 14 staffers, suggesting this layoff spherical included no less than two builders. Nevertheless, inclusion within the doc is voluntary, so it is doable that extra individuals have been affected. GameSpot has reached out to Cyan Worlds for extra info.
Cyan’s March layoffs additionally included a statement from the studio detailing the robust monetary straits it has confronted in 2025, which it additionally posted on Bluesky.
“Business situations have pressured us into a tough spot the place we’re having to weigh the longer term well being of our studio in opposition to the month-to-month realities of sport improvement in 2025,” the assertion stated.
“For now, our primary precedence is to safe financing for our subsequent challenge, and to restabilize the studio,” it continues. “We have been round for a really very long time, and have been by way of robust occasions earlier than. Our honest hope is to proceed to be round, and to supply the sorts of experiences that solely Cyan can ship.”
This new spherical of layoffs comes simply two days after the anniversary of Cyan’s launch of a 3D remake of Riven: The Sequel to Myst, its masterpiece puzzle sport first launched in 1997. That new launch basically reworks the sport first launched almost 30 years in the past with some new puzzles and components, whereas additionally providing VR help. It follows the 2021 remake of Cyan’s most well-known and influential sport, Myst. Each remakes are presently accessible at a reduction within the Steam Summer time Sale.
Cyan has a protracted historical past within the video games trade, having operated as an impartial studio for some 37 years. Myst, first launched in 1993, had a large cultural affect each inside and outdoors of video video games, releasing alongside the rising development of proudly owning a house PC within the U.S. Since then, Myst has spawned 4 sequels, in addition to comics and novels.