Gothic and Risen developer Piranha Bytes seems to have been shut down by mum or dad firm THQ Nordic (itself owned by Embracer Group), if a brand new report is to be believed.
Based on a report by Polish gaming information platform CD-Motion, the developer, which is thought for mechanically clunky however formidable RPGs like Risen, Gothic, and Elex, was shut down in the direction of the tip of final month.
The report claims that Piranha Bytes was anticipating funding to reach from an investor for its newest mission, which CD-Motion says would have been a Gothic-style darkish fantasy RPG created in Unreal Engine 5.
It is price noting that CD-Motion merely cites an nameless “supply” who’s supposedly a Piranha Bytes worker, however since that worker is not named, be sure that to take this report with a pinch of salt.
It does, nevertheless, line up with what we already learn about Piranha Bytes’ scenario. Again in January, the studio described its scenario as “tough”, imploring followers to not “write us off but” with reference to an unannounced mission.
Piranha Bytes stated on the time that it might “do no matter it takes” to discover a publishing and funding companion for the mission, however plainly if CD-Motion’s report is appropriate, these efforts sadly have not borne fruit.
Moreover, Piranha Bytes artistic director and longtime staffer Björn Pankratz introduced earlier right now that he has based a brand new indie studio, Pithead, alongside along with his spouse Jennifer, though his LinkedIn web page nonetheless lists him as a present worker of Piranha Bytes.
If Piranha Bytes has certainly been closed, then meaning the studio’s remaining mission was 2022’s Elex 2, an motion RPG very a lot within the Piranha Bytes custom. There are worse methods to exit, eh?
After all, this may not influence the upcoming Gothic remake. Though Piranha Bytes was the developer for the unique Gothic, the brand new mission is being labored on by an inner THQ Nordic studio and does not contain Piranha Bytes.
We contacted THQ Nordic for additional data on this story, however they refused to touch upon the scenario. Watch this area for more information.