RPG Developer Responds to Company Closure Reports

RPG developer Piranha Bytes has responded to the reports claiming the company is on the brink of closure, asking the fans not to write it off just yet. While that particular request is optimistic, the overall contents of the company's latest statement still raise concerns about its future.

The German developer of the Gothic, Risen, and Elex series was acquired by Embracer Group-owned THQ Nordic in 2019. Since then, Piranha Bytes has released just one game in the form of Elex 2, which was met with a mixed critical reception and lackluster sales (relative to its predecessor) that certainly weren't helped by its proximity to Elden Ring. Those recent struggles do not take away from the fact that many other Piranha Bytes games enjoy cult followings to this date.

Following a massive influx of fan questions resulting from the multiple recent reports that Piranha Bytes may be shutting down, the Essen-based studio has now offered some clarifying comments on the matter. Taking to Twitter, the company admitted that it finds itself «in a difficult situation» nowadays, thus seemingly confirming the earlier reports detailing its troubles. Nevertheless, the studio asked the fans not to write it off prematurely, stating that it is currently doing everything it can to remain in business.

The studio's statement implies that Embracer's previously reported efforts to find a buyer for Piranha Bytes are still ongoing. The Swedish holding company has been in the process of downsizing its operations since June 2023, when its $2 billion investment deal with an undisclosed partner—which was rumored to be the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund—fell through. Embracer has laid off over 900 people in the months that followed.

Yes, it's true. We, Piranha Bytes, are in a difficult situation. There are a lot of news about us circulating right now ant this is our answer: Don't write us off yet!

In the days preceding Piranha Bytes' latest statement, its unannounced project Currywurst, also known as