Subj : Piranha Bytes, the Embracer-owned developer of Gothic, Risen, and
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Tue Jul 09 2024 11:15:04

Piranha Bytes, the Embracer-owned developer of Gothic, Risen, and Elex, has 
shut down

Date:
Tue, 09 Jul 2024 10:01:28 +0000

Description:
German RPG developer Piranha Bytes has reportedly shut down.

FULL STORY
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The Embracer Group subsidiary Piranha Bytes has reportedly shut down. 

In January the developer told fans that it was eager to find a partner to 
ensure that its current projects would continue but, as of the end of June, 
it appears that the studio was unable to find a way to stay open. 

Although there has been no official comment from Piranha Bytes or Embracer 
Group, the closure was reported by trade publication gamesindustry.biz , who 
cite a recent story from the German-language outlet Gamestar. 

The studio, which was based in Germany, was well-known for its ambitious 
role-playing games (RPGs). This included the Gothic and Risen fantasy series, 
plus the open-world sci-fi adventures Elex and Elex 2 . It was originally 
founded in 1997 and was eventually acquired by THQ Nordic and its parent 
company Embracer Group in 2019. 

One of the oldest and most well-regarded RPG developers in the region, the 
closure of Piranha Bytes is undeniably a huge loss for the European game 
development scene. The studio was allegedly working on an unannounced 
project, which many speculated could be a third installment in the Elex 
franchise. 

As disappointing as this news is, it doesnt seem like its the end for Piranha 
Bytes or its beloved properties quite yet. A remake of the original Gothic is 
currently in the works at THQ Nordic studio Alkimia Interactive, having been 
announced back in 2019. It is set to be released for PC, PlayStation 5 , Xbox 
Series X , and Xbox Series S later this year. At the time of writing, it 
seems as though its development has not been affected by the closure. 

IGN also claims that two ex-Piranha Bytes developers, Bjrn Pankratz and 
Jennifer Pankratz, have founded a new indie studio, named Pithead Studio. 
Announced in a post to Twitter / X , the studio will focus on creating unique 
and immersive games which very much seems in keeping with the Piranha Bytes 
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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/gaming/piranha-bytes-the-embracer-owned-developer-of
-gothic-risen-and-elex-has-shut-down


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