Byte Piranha has closed. This is the end of the studio that created Gothic – CD-Action

The article can be found in English. here.

One of the Piranha Bytes staff we’ve been in contact with since publication. First information about the crisis situation in the studioWe’re told that the company responsible for creating Gothica went out of business at the end of June.

The crisis has been going on for a long time.But from time to time investors interested in helping the studio appeared on the horizon. According to the information provided to us, a cash injection of 3 million euros was expected. After all, it was one of the most popular game development companies in our western neighbors. Unfortunately, in the end, Piranha was not bought, and the funding from Embracer was enough to support the team until June 2024. In the meantime, many employees said goodbye to the studio, choosing a more secure job. A few days before the publication of the material, the company’s office looked like this:

We know that the plans after the potential acquisition were to move away from the recent games produced under the leadership of Björn Pankratz (who left with his wife Piranha Bytes in November last year and announced today that he will be leaving). Pithead Studio Founded), i.e. the Elex series, and created a new dark fantasy title on Unreal Engine 5. It was of course supposed to resemble the Gothic style, which Piranha Bytes did not have the rights to. In December, the lighting and animation were further improved, which, according to the informant, had previously caused significant criticism from players.

The current head of Piranha Bytes, Michael Ruff, has not yet commented on the fate of the company, but according to our information, the studio will most likely not make any official statements, allowing itself to leave in peace and quiet.

If you would like to learn more about the history of the studio, please read the text from the special issue on the Gothic style, which we have made available on this sad occasion on the website below. connection.