Husband-and-wife duo Björn and Jenny Pankratz have founded an independent development studio, Pithead, following the closure of their long-time workplace Piranha Bytes, creator of fantasy role-playing games Gothic,Risenand ELEX.
Piranha Bytes owner THQ Nordic, a subsidiary of Embracer Group, has yet to comment on the reported closure of the studio (perCD Action), but a section of Pithead’s frequently asked questions channel in the studio’s Discord server gives some context to the closure.
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“As you noticed, the gaming industry was not doing well last year,” the answer reads. “This was also the case for Embracer Group, to which THQ Nordic and Piranha Bytes belong. A lot of studios had to close, and thousands of people in the gaming industry worldwide lost their jobs. Sadly, Piranha Bytes was also affected by this.”
“Although we are very sad about this, we decided after much deliberation, to make a new fresh start and found a new company to continue developing computer games that we can share with you. We are very happy and thankful that you found your way here.”
The German-based Piranha Bytes was founded in 1997, meaning it was one of the oldest active studios in the industry until Embracer got involved. Embracer’s ‘restructuring’ process saw the conglomerate sell off or close many studios it had purchased just a few years before, including Volition, and the portfolios of Saber Interactive and Gearbox Entertainment.
In avideo announcing the studio, Björn explains they chose the name Pithead because the couple is from Ruhr, a region of Germany previously known for coal mining.
A blurb in the ‘About Us’ section gives us some insight into what Pithead will be working on, “Pithead Studio will focus on creating dense and dark adventures with a deep storyline and horror and RPG elements.”
Naturally, the Gothic, Risen and ELEX properties remain with THQ Nordic so Pithead won’t have any involvement in those settings. The pair note that they’re following the Gothic remake from Alkima Interactive with excitement and curiosity, but aren’t involved.
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