Gothic Developers, Piranha Bytes Has Been Shut Down (Rumor)
We are still waiting for official confirmation, but it looks like Piranha Bytes studio won't deliver Elex 3 or any other new game.
The developers of Gothic were facing an uncertain situation just a few hours ago, and we were excited by the news of a new studio founded by Bjorn and Jennifer Pankratz. Now the situation has most likely been clarified - unfortunately, in the worst possible way. The Piranha Bytes studio was to be closed after over 20 years of existence and before the release of Elex 3 (or WIKI6).
According to CD Action, a former employee of the company has stated that the developer effectively ceased to exist at the end of June. Various investors were interested in saving the company and were willing to keep the studio alive, providing a chance for its survival. Unfortunately, in the end, no one bought Piranha Bytes, and the funds from the Embracer group were only enough to maintain the team until the end of last month.
The information hasn't yet been confirmed, but the CDA editorial team has included photos that were supposed to present the studio's headquarters in recent days. If these are authentic photographs, they leave no doubt about the "packing" of the devs before leaving the offices.
If it were confirmed, the CD Action information wouldn't be a surprise. At the beginning of the year, Piranha Bytes confirmed the critical situation of the studio, although the team hoped to find a partner (probably one who would buy the studio from the hands of the Embracer group). Sadly, it looks like it didn't work out. Nonetheless, we are waiting for the official statement.
