Cyan Worlds Announces Second Round of Layoffs Amid Challenging Industry Climate

Cyan Worlds, one of the most storied independent game studios in the United States and celebrated worldwide for creating the groundbreaking Myst franchise, has announced another series of workforce reductions.

The news was shared via the company’s official social media channels, marking a difficult period for the studio and its employees. Established in 1987 by brothers Rand and Robyn Miller, Cyan Worlds has left an indelible mark on the gaming landscape with critically acclaimed titles such as Myst and its follow-ups.

These titles not only achieved significant sales milestones—Myst alone sold millions of copies globally—but also influenced generations of adventure game design.

Most recently, Cyan Worlds developed and released Firmament in 2023, continuing its legacy of atmospheric puzzle and adventure games. This latest round of layoffs affects 14 staff members, adding to the 12 employees let go in March 2024.

The March reduction accounted for roughly half the studio's workforce at the time, highlighting the severity of the current financial and operational challenges confronting independent developers.

To support affected team members, Cyan Worlds has provided a publicly shared spreadsheet detailing the impacted staff, an effort to assist them in finding new opportunities within the games industry. While specifics on potential overlap between the March and current layoffs have not been confirmed, the company did not disclose the total number of redundancies across both rounds.

Previously, Cyan’s leadership commented on the studio’s enduring presence in the industry despite adversity.

In a candid message, the team stated: "Cyan Worlds has endured through decades of change and disruption, weathering difficult times before.

Our hope remains to continue delivering the unique experiences our studio is known for." Cyan Worlds’ influential history includes shaping the puzzle-adventure genre and expanding to major platforms like the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, PC, and VR.

The Myst series, in particular, has consistently appeared in discussions about the most significant games of all time, and each release has been notable for technical innovation and immersive storytelling. The ongoing layoffs at Cyan Worlds are a reflection of broader struggles experienced by many mid-sized and independent game developers in the current market landscape.

As the games industry adapts to fluctuating consumer demand, rising development costs, and evolving distribution models—including shifts to digital storefronts like the Nintendo eShop—studios are increasingly challenged to remain viable while maintaining their creative vision. Cyan Worlds continues to express a strong desire to endure and contribute to the medium with high-quality, imaginative projects.

For long-time fans and industry observers, the hope is that this seminal development studio can weather these setbacks and produce further memorable games for both classic and new audiences.