Crytek snaps up Vigil devs for new US studio

Crytek has snapped up 36 core members of THQ developer Vigil Games for its new US studio.

The Vigil team had been left to the wind after last week’s THQ auction left them without a buyer.

Now the german company has come to the rescue, appointing former Vigil GM David Adams as Crytek USA’s CEO.

"I’m thrilled to be a part of the newest Crytek studio, which will boast some of the brightest development talent in the industry," said Adams.

"The studio’s launch represents Crytek’s commitment to delivering diverse and high quality content to players everywhere."

The new studio doesn’t represent the full complement of Vigil’s staff, but the news that the team won’t be completely dispersed is welcome indeed.

“Crytek has always enjoyed a special relationship with gamers and business partners in North America, so establishing a permanent presence in the US was a natural step,” said Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli.

In a phone interview with Gamasutra, Yerli said the new branch would be working on "online games and kick-ass triple-A productions."

"It is going to be quite a significant investment for Crytek over the next five years," he added.

The CEO has made it clear that Crytek – which purchased the Homefront IP from THQ for $500,000 – would not be buying the Darksiders franchise created by its new employees.