Frankfurt am Main, Germany, December 10, 2025 – Crytek, one of the leading independent game publishers, developers, and technology providers in Germany announces that Hannes Seifert will join the company's management team as the new co-CEO on January 1, 2026.
Hannes Seifert will focus on the business areas of Game Production and Publishing, whereas Crytek’s founder and CEO, Avni Yerli, will continue to be responsible for the strategic direction and further development of the company. Seifert joins the
management team also consisting of COO Christopher Schmitz, CTO Clive Gratton, and CFO Volker Vorbrodt.
The company continues to focus on the development and publishing of the awardwinning live-service game Hunt: Showdown 1896, which reached the 10 million player mark worldwide in fall 2025, as well as the in-house developed CRYENGINE.
Avni Yerli (l.) with Hannes Seifert (r.) in Crytek’s offices in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
With nearly four decades of industry expertise as founder and director at Rockstar Games, Deep Silver, IO Interactive, and others, and after more than eight years in the publishing business at Riot Games, Hannes Seifert returns to a development studio and will work with Avni Yerli to expand and shape Crytek's future.
“After 38 years in the gaming industry, it is an honor to become part of Crytek, a company I have always greatly admired for its games, technology, and values. I look forward to supporting the teams in providing players around the world with the best action experiences today and in the future, and I thank Avni for his trust in me.” says Hannes Seifert about his new position.
“By extending our management team, we want to strengthen and further expand Crytek's position on the market. In particular, we will drive growth in key global markets with our publishing and game services. The continuous success of Hunt: Showdown 1896 and our ongoing commitment to further development of CRYENGINE form a strong foundation for the future of our company. Hannes will set the course for sustainable growth as the new co-CEO.” adds Avni Yerli.
Crytek was founded in 1999 by the brothers Avni, Cevat and Faruk Yerli and is known for its globally successful games such as Far Cry, the Crysis series and Hunt: Showdown 1896. Hunt: Showdown 1896 has been one of the studio's most successful titles for over six years and is continuously being expanded and supported. The game recently reached another important milestone of 10 million players worldwide. In November, Crytek revealed a detailed roadmap for 2026 on Hunt’s official website and announced that one of the game’s most popular events, Post Malone’s Murder Circus, will return to the game on December 11, 2025.
Media note: More assets for this release can be found here.
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About Crytek
Crytek is an independent developer and publisher of video games and technology provider based in Frankfurt (Main), Germany, which aims to push the boundaries of gaming with its 3D game development software, CRYENGINE. Crytek offers great and innovative gaming experiences for PC, consoles, and VR, including the original Far Cry, the Crysis series, Ryse: Son of Rome, The Climb, Robinson: The Journey, and Hunt: Showdown 1896. Every Crytek game has been built with CRYENGINE, which anyone can use to create their own games. With more than 25 years of experience in the gaming industry, Crytek leverages its unique combination of experience and skills and continues to set standards with innovative, entertaining, and cutting-edge games and technologies.
More Information can be found at www.crytek.com and www.cryengine.com.