Crytek loves free-to-play, can’t wait to be exclusive

German studio Crytek seems to be eager for a future where free-to-play games are all that matters – at least to their future, according to CEO Cevat Yerli in an interview with Videogamer.

The studio responsible for Far Cry and the Crysis series is possibly already preparing the transition from a retail company to a free-to-play developer. It’s just a matter of completing the current contracts for other publishers: Crysis 3 for Electronic Arts, Ryse for Microsoft and Homefront 2 for THQ.

In a free-to-play future, Crytek will use GFACE, a social platform that is still somewhat under wraps.

The transition doesn’t necessarily mean that new Crytek games will have lower budgets, according to Yerli. The goal is to maintain a console quality, with budgets ranging from $10m to $30m.

Crytek Kiev is putting the final touches on Warface, a free-to-play online shooter that marks the first experience of the studio in the area. First impressions point to a huge success in Russia, where the game is racking up an impressive number of players and several industry awards. The US and Europe will follow suit.