Avni Yerli

Avni Yerli is a German-Turkish video game developer and one of the co-founders of Crytek, the studio famous for Far Cry, Crysis, and the CryEngine. Alongside his brothers Cevat and Faruk Yerli, Avni helped build Crytek from a small startup into one of the most technically ambitious game studios in the world.

While his brother Cevat was often the public face and creative lead, Avni played a major role in the company’s business operations and leadership, especially during Crytek’s peak years in the 2000s and early 2010s. He later took on more responsibilities as CEO after Cevat stepped down in 2018.

Avni Yerli is part of the reason Crytek became synonymous with high-end graphics, ambitious game design, and that infamous question: Can it run Crysis?