Gaming
Piranha Bytes Studio is Closing
The decision of the Germany-based video game development studio Piranha Bytes to shut down has caused a surprise in the gaming industry. Click here for details!
It has been reported that Piranha Bytes, known for games like Gothic, Risen, and Elex, has been shut down after more than 25 years. According to a former employee speaking to CD Action, the main company of the German studio, Embracer Group, ceased its operations at the end of June.
Piranha Bytes was known as a beloved studio by gamers.
In January, Piranha Bytes studio entered a restructuring process by its parent company Embracer. As part of this process, the company faced the risk of closure. The team requested financial assistance from Embracer to develop a new dark fantasy game resembling Gothic using the Unreal Engine 5 game engine, but this request went unanswered.
Piranha Bytes, which is said to have been shut down, has not made any official statements at the moment. Key figures in the gaming industry emphasize that the studio quietly closed its doors behind closed doors.
Founded in 1997, Piranha Bytes had about 31 full-time developers when it was acquired by Embracer in May 2019. The news of Gothic studio’s closure coincides with senior members of Piranha Bytes, Björn Pankratz and Jennifer Pankratz, founding a new studio.