Crytek — the German independent game publisher, developer, and game engine maker —
announced that Hannes Seifert will join the company as the new co-CEO on January 1, 2026.
Seifert will focus on the business areas of game production and publishing, while 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 Frankfurt am Main, Germany-based company continues to focus on the development and publishing of the award-winning 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.
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, Seifert returns to a development studio and will work with 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,” said Seifert, in a statement.
Yerli said in a statement, “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.”
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, Ryse: Son of Rome (my favorite), The Climb, Robinson: The Journey, 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.