Piranha Bytes confirms "difficult situation" but remains resolute

Yes, Piranha Bytes is currently in a "difficult situation". The German dev studio known for Gothic, Risen and Elex has responded to the rumours of its closure. The company remains combative and is looking for a new partner in order to continue.

Over the last couple of days, more and more media reports have emerged about the possible closure of the long-established German studio Piranha Bytes as part of the Embracer Group's restructuring process (GamesMarkt reported). The company from Essen in North Rhine-Westfalia has now issued a statement confirming it is in a "difficult situation". The status quo was not described in more detail. According to the statement, the company should not be written off just yet. They are looking for a new partner so that they can continue to develop games in the future. They would have no shortage of ideas and creative minds.

The statement in its original wording: "Dear fans, Yes, it's true. We, Piranha Bytes, are in a difficult situation. There are a lot of news about us circulating right now and this is our answer: Don't write us off yet! We do everything to continue creating worlds in which you can lose yourself. This is what our hearts have always beaten for. We are convinced that we will succeed. We are creative minds and there's no lack of ideas! We stick together, no matter what. Now, we are focussing on this goal with all our strength and do whatever it takes to find a partner for this project. As soon as there are any news, we will share them with you. Thank you very much for your continuous support."

Rumours in recent days have also suggested that their parent company THQ Nordic, which belongs to the Embracer Group, has been fighting for the continued existence of Piranha Bytes and is looking for possible solutions and takeover candidates. According to unconfirmed reports, THQ Nordic could even give up the Elex brand to accommodate potential buyers. However, the Austrian publisher is unlikely to give up the Gothic brand, as Alkimia Interactive from Barcelona is known to be working on the remake of "Gothic", Piranha Bytes' first game.

Piranha Bytes was founded in 1997 and benefited from a federal subsidy of 3.17 million euros in March 2023, the third-highest amount of funding to date (excluding the cancelled Fishlabs project). The funding period runs until the end of November 2026.