Cyan Worlds Announces Another Round of Layoffs Following the Riven Remake

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Cyan Worlds, the legendary indie studio behind Myst and Riven, has announced another round of layoffs affecting an undisclosed number of employees, just a few months after cutting roughly half its team in March 2025. The news arrives only days after the one-year anniversary of Riven: The Sequel to Myst, the 3D remake released on June 25, 2024.

Hi all—we're sorry to say that we've had another round of layoffs at Cyan. We've updated our previously shared sheet to reflect folks still (or newly) looking for opportunities:https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NURnVwfeqolPAVN-Dn44UpXZS3bRVMaCNQczIzhIpdc/edit?usp=sharing

Cyan Worlds (@cyan.com) 2025-06-27T08:54:01-07:00

The layoffs follow a difficult year for Cyan, which stated on Bluesky in March that the industry was facing “tricky” conditions. The studio explained that it “must think about the future health of its business against the month-to-month realities of making games in 2025,” emphasizing its goal of stabilizing finances and securing funding for its next project.

Founded in 1987, Cyan Worlds is best known for Myst (1993), a cultural phenomenon that pioneered puzzle-driven, immersive storytelling. Its success led to sequels, comics, and novels. Modern remakes, including Myst (2021) and Riven (2024), brought these classics to new audiences with enhanced visuals, new puzzles, and VR support.

Cyan’s statement remains hopeful: “We’ve been through tough times before, and our aim is to continue delivering the unique experiences only Cyan can offer.” With no confirmed details about its next project, the studio is likely exploring options to maintain its creative vision, possibly through crowdfunding or partnerships, as it did with Obduction in 2013.

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