Legendary RPG Studio Piranha Bytes is Closing Down after 26 Years?

[@click4gameplay]

I forgot to mention that Gothic remake has nothing to do with this. It's still coming out, because it's not being developed by Piranha Bytes.

[@plainluke722]

Was about to ask.

[@ruxcooking]

I really hope so.

[@JustSomeoneOnYoutube0]

I wish it wasn't.

[@Hpalhazred]

Gothic remake is made by a talentless studio and published by THQ, so dont worry.

[@drewk.4105]

​@@Hpalhazredhow do you know they are talentless? Im pretty sure this is their first project.

[@simoSLJ89]

The Gothic series, the only games that weren't games for me. They have been my second home. I wasn't playing, I was there. I was in New Camp selling and smoking -weed- swampweed, I was in the Orc Temple, in the Valley of Mines, in Braga, or Nordmar. And the Community has been great for over 20 years, creating mods and patches. Even now, I'm playing Archolos The Chronicles of Myrtana, and it's amazing to find the same spirit in a free game made by fans. Thank you PB.

[@Robert-yt9pq]

Well said. Me too.

[@nexarath]

Well said man. The problem, though, is that Chronicles of Myrtana is actually THE best Gothic game ever made - yes, even better than Gothic 2, and I don't say that lightly. It's basically like good ole Gothic BUT EVEN BETTER, which I didn't think was possible. Why is this a problem, you ask? WELLLLLL, it is a problem, in my book, because it shows how much PB has changed. It's not just different worlds/different game mechanics/what have you - no. Risen 2, Risen 3, Elex and Elex 2 just don't have the OG PB spark, they don't have the writing, the characters, hell, almost anything that made the Gothic games and Risen 1 so beloved. And that is what CoM Archolos has. In spades. And that's what gets me - why does the community understand PB games better than PB does? And the answer is - because they've just changed too many team members, and much like today's Bioware or Bethesda, we cannot expect the games we want from PB anymore, even if they survive this crisis :(

[@phaedruslive]

Chronicles of Myrtana is shoulder to shoulder with Gothic 2. Better than Risen 1 and all the other games, for sure.@@nexarath

[@franciscor390]

We will never forget what they achieved. Hopefully the ex members get together and form a new studio.

[@sygmarvexarion7891]

Why? To continue making mediocrities and eventually close down too?

[@diamondhamster4320]

@@sygmarvexarion7891 Unique games are awesome and good for the industry but sadly they are commercially unviable in modern decade.

[@sygmarvexarion7891]

@@diamondhamster4320 They're unviable because they're bad. Good content is always succesful.

[@diamondhamster4320]

@@sygmarvexarion7891 So Call of Duty is Good Content? Always Good Content? Or countless garbo Sports games like FIFA???

[@sygmarvexarion7891]

@@diamondhamster4320 If a piece of content has a lot of people engaging with it, then it's good content even if you personally don't like it. If a game is played by 10 people, it's not because it's unique, it's because it's garbage.

[@Braphupada]

sad news. the games they have made, especially Gothic 1 & 2, have been with me since a young age. Much love

[@quiet.s1lence]

me 2

[@ofmanyone]

3 was my first Gothic game i past it so many times on all endings and dlc different stories . Could never get into 1 or 2 sadly.

[@VITAS874]

They created only 2 games and risen 1. Company nothing gives good product... since then

[@TravisH-nm9fy]

Those are poverty games. Diablo 4 is way better.

[@dylansinyamom]

@@TravisH-nm9fy lmao nice cope

[@TheGrego011]

Risen and Gothic were great times as a kid, cheers to PB shame to hear it. ❤

[@_Winfried_]

The only reason they could keep going for so long was a lot of good will from the fan base due to gothic 1 and 2 so this was inevitable as their games sadly didnt improve over the time

[@R2Carney]

Gothic 1 and 2 are legendary but the Risen games were pretty amazing too. Especially Risen 1.

[@dannykuang9433]

I never played the Gothic games but tried their Risen and Elex and yuck, the games were mid tier at best, especially Elex. It really doesn’t surprise me because they haven’t had massive success in terms of sales for like a decade and more.

[@garnuch271]

@@dannykuang9433You should check out the Gothic series then! It’s hands down their best IP and games they made

[@Jrock420blam]

Yeah Risen and Elex were very bad compared to Gothic and were not good enough to compete with quality RPGs they came out against. Gothic struggled vs Morrowind at the time and they were actually good games.

[@nonono9194]

They hadn't made a great game since 2002, G3 was decent enough. I tried as far as Risen 1 from loyalty and it was okay but I zoned out after that and the reviews of the newer games were meh. Still replay G2 all the time, they should be closing if they can't outdo what they did 20 years ago

[@terrorinthesky1]

I was reading that Björn Pankratz left PB last November over creative differences. The remaining staff has also been laid off. A company without its people is not a company anymore. Elex 2 was apparently a financial failure. Embracer has been pulling funding from many projects in the concept stage such as Elex 3. It's more than likely that PB is gone for good. Such a sad moment in gaming history.

[@bdarecords_]

Not a sad moment but about time. The elex game were a disaster. They had no soul. I know, Larian might be a generic example but I just watched a documentary about how they made divinity 2 os cause I am replaying it again (played it muich before bg3) and you can see how good studios work. Piranha Bytes used to be good but that was more than 20 years ago.

[@robinmattheussen2395]

@@bdarecords_ I think Elex 1 was great actually. Risen 2 and Risen 3 were terrible.

[@Grandmastergav86]

I've heard some very bad things about Embracer tbh

[@cracmar03]

@@bdarecords_ too bad playing DOS 2 made me feel as if Larian lost it's soul by removing writing team. I don't know what the hell happened but this was insulting after excellence of DOS 1 storytelling. It was such a dissapointment that even if on documentaries it's all sunshine and rainbows game alone was giving me clear sign that whatever I loved about Larian playing Divine Divinity or DOS 1 is gone and is never coming back. I kept poking myself in head why they try to do a Pillars of Eternity plot, in Divinity franchise that is 100% already NOT fitting for said plot from get go. If Steam wasn't so stingy with refunds I would very much want a DOS 2 refund because I felt robbed.

[@TheKarabanera]

@@cracmar03 that' actually not true. The HIRED actual writers for DOS2. DOS1 didn't have dedicated writers and didn't have consistency. I also loved the story of DOS1, but it's simply not true, that they got rid of original writers, when they didn't have any in the first place.

[@cyberninjazero5659]

On the one hand it's sad to see another legacy studio go but on the other hand they peaked woth Gothic 2 which came out 20 years ago. Sure Gothic 3 wasn't their fault but every game after failing to live up to or advance their design is on them. Still R.I.P

[@raskolnikov6443]

Gothic 3 would have been amazing

[@HotGarbageHD]

The Gothic games are a big part of my childhood and the reason why I love RPG games. Very sad News man. I wish every Employer only the best.

[@climaksy1659]

employee you mean?

[@AnT1IDoTe]

Very sad news, hopefully not true. It would really suck to lose a studio like that. They just know how to make beautiful and interesting worlds, where every nook and cranny is worth exploring, because something could always be hidden around the next corner. I'm definitely one of the latecomers when it comes to loving Piranha Bytes. My first game of theirs was Elex 1 ... yes, the combat could have been a lot better, but once you got used to it, it wasn't all that bad. Hopefully they keep on making the games we know and love ... and in case the news turn out to be true, I wish all the members of the studio good luck in life and I hope that they find a way to keep the spirit of their games alive.

[@dragovin08]

As much as it sucks to see them shut down. I think it was inevitable since they seemed like a studio who just were just stuck in the past and never evolved.

[@bdarecords_]

exactly.

[@robinmattheussen2395]

PB's games have a lot of issues, but "stuck in the past" is not really what I would call any of their games.

[@jimmythecrow]

not every game needs to be like skyrim.

[@azminek7154]

@@jimmythecrowThank god their games weren't like Skyrim. PB made better action RPGs than 99% of the AAA studios. Yes, they were eurojank to the core, unrefined, but very enjoyable. In the meanwhile Skyrim is a downgrade compared to its predecessors and basically a sleepwalk without mods.

[@SPG8989]

lol they were stuck way in the past wtf you mean they weren't. @@robinmattheussen2395

[@MentalCrusader]

This is a rare case where I like what German laws do. If it was an american studio they would be closed down already. I really hope that most of Piranha Bytes stays and that they manage to keep making games. I also wonder if Björn's wife, who also works at PB has left the company as well

[@cezarstefanseghjucan]

Socialism is a great thing, it is the only thing that has brought us 8h workdays, 5 days per week and paid leave. The biggest issue is that real socialism or caring about workers has been sabotaged by corporate politics involving identity and racial bias in order to have workers without families and friends that are easily exploitable.

[@Reg_The_Galah]

I hope they at least finish Elex 3. I was looking forward to playing that

[@ShadowCthulhu]

that would suck as I really enjoyed the first 2, granted I liked 1 more than 2. Would like to see a final game though.

[@madness9651]

@@ShadowCthulhu I hope they leak the wiki, so the community can just mod it into Elex 2. In case you didn't know, Piranha Bytes always makes an internal wikipedia-like database for their project, so that all devs have full access on the lore, characterizations, world building etc. Elex III was codenamed WIKI6 in the list of public funding by the German Ministry of Economy, as it was the sixth game using this system. So the entire background for the game should exist, and the technology exists, too...

[@dp27thelight9]

They definitely need development help. I always thought they should make a game with Deck13.

[@urseldowntownempire1930]

Totally possible that a lot of PB people find a new job at Deck13 - Imagine Deck13 doing a Gothic Style RPG and combine that with their own knowledge

[@faviozorrillapadilla1151]

Not matter, because none of the original team is there, piranha bytes cease to exist when the founders left , is only the name. Apologies for my grammar, English is not my native language, I learned (some) curiously playing gothic.

[@Robert-yt9pq]

This video just ruined my day. This is tragic news to me. No more Elex? I'm sure a lot of developers will keep the spirit of Gothic/Risen and Elex alive. Kai, Bjorn and the rest will not be forgotten. Live on at another studio. I'll be following.

[@AlkonKomm]

surprised to see so much piranha bytes hate in the comments, I thought elex 1 was their best game by far since gothic 2 and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Even Elex 2, which I didnt enjoy all that much, still had a world worth exploring and a cool new faction. I really hope they stick around, cause nobody does games quite like they do. Like, can anybody even recommend me any other RPG series where you genuinely start from zero and are treated like a nobody by everyone and get defeated by freaking rats at the start? You aren't the chosen one, you start as a total loser. The progression system (joining a faction, leveling up, etc.) and the handcrafted world feel still scratches an itch for me that no other game series quite manages to do.

[@Robert-yt9pq]

Well said. My thoughts exactly. I think their games get better after each release. I have not played Elex 2, but I hear it improves a lot of things. Jet pack for one.

[@phaedruslive]

I really enjoyed Elex as well, but I actually think Risen 1 is their best game after G2.

[@AlkonKomm]

I think the majority of people would either say Risen 1 or Gothic 3 is their favorite (post Gothic 2), and I can definitely see arguments for either of them (Gothic 3 was an incredibly ambitious project that got elevated by mods, Risen 1 had pretty good combat, soundtrack, atmosphere and felt fairly polished all around), but I think Elex 1 just has the coolest and most well crafted world to explore since Gothic 2. Big but not too big, a ton of variety in landscape, a lot of NPCs to talk with, interesting factions, and the scifi/fantasy setting worked out surprisingly well. Also loved the jetpack and the vertical exploring. If Elex 1 had better combat it might honestly almost be on par with Gothic 2 for me.

[@seklay]

Very sad that Bjorn "moved on" from Gothic.. By doubling-down on Elex he killed the studio Hopefully the people from PB who wanted to work on Gothic are working on the Remake now

[@tesselesk8]

We all know that the true genius behind PB was Mike Hoge and Kai. Sadly, to many bad things happened that make this studio never get to the praise they deserve. After Mike and Kai left, the studio went downfall.

[@LukeR1M]

Gothic 1 and 2 was my childhood so I will always remember PB fondly but let's be honest, they haven't made anything truly great since a long time. Risen 1 was the last PB game I actually enjoyed and that was almost 15 years ago.

[@boffmoffet2826]

Wow what terrible news if true. I really loved all their games, but Elex gave me a ton of joy recently. Certainly these games are the reason I found this channel.

[@MPKLBN-t6v]

Larian Studios is number 1 for me since Divine Divinity. Piranha Bytes is number 2 for me since Gothic 1. CD-Projekt RED is number 3 for me since Witcher 1.

[@achinism]

Another one bites the dust..! Sad day indeed, many of my fav studios are now lost to the annals of oblivion - Black Isle, Nival, Lionhead, Ensemble, Visceral, and now the legendary Piranha Bytes joins the list! Spider got acquired too back in 2019. Ambitious indie developers have always been instrumental in bringing innovation and advancement to the RPG world, with Larian's rise being the most recent example. I hope THQ finds a way to sustain the legacy and the know-how of almost three decades.

[@GloriousGrunt]

Dam, I am just getting into my first Gothic lets play and was planning to do all the games, I still will but sad to know nothing more will come from this studio. Hopefully some members work together on more RPG projects

[@aletondaX]

I played Gothic 2 and finished it like ten years ago, it was my best gaming experience ever. I just finished Gothic 3 for the first time, and i cried during the ending (LOL). It was like so much memories and experiences put together. Demolishing news indeed

[@garnuch271]

The best solution would be for employees from Piranha Bytes to join the Alkimia, or maybe merge the 2 studios together. Now that is very unlikely to happen, but one can dream and be delusional, eh? F [*] Piranha Bytes, thanks for the Gothics and Risen 1 and 2 ( i kinda don’t care about the other games they made to be blunt lmao)

[@ravanpee1325]

PB didn't work with the Unreal Engine...so a merger doesn't make any sense

[@GamingYooler]

Embracer's buying spree was catastrophic for the gaming industry.

[@Slvrbuu]

I remember when people thought embracer group might be a good thing, encouraging AA and more indie style games. Turns out they've acquired and shut down, just like EA.

[@azminek7154]

And now they will sit on the IPs to the end of days not letting anyone make a sequel to their games.

[@Jonathick]

I am so sad. I love all their games

[@the_bread_wolf]

Thank you for covering this. I'll be heartbroken without PB games anymore, if that's what happens.

[@Anotheranimeaccountt]

Sad to hear honestly, PB made some really underrated classics with Elex being one of my favourites, rip PB

[@gnoghead]

I'm sorry for your loss, C4G. 😔🥀

[@Blisterdude123]

Sad on one hand I guess, but on the other hand I feel like they've been running in place on a treadmill as a developer for years. Like basically every game they've made has been some shade of Gothic 2.

[@dallacosta2868]

That’s really sad, but I guess that’s what you get for not developing a good combat system in 26 years, lol. I always compare them to Spiders, a studio that LEAPS in quality from one game to the next. Specially when it comes to combat.

[@inquerion8867]

Sadly Spiders got bought by French EA like company (Nacon). They were forced to make Soulslike clone Steelrising. They are now working on Greedfall 2 though. I wish them luck, but I'm not hopefull, Nacon is bad.

[@SenpaiOnyx]

Dear Lord, please let Elex 3 be made. As janky and sometimes shitty as it was, I loved the first 2 and want to see the series through to the finish.

[@Reg_The_Galah]

I hope not! I love the world of Elex, I hope they finish the final game

[@diamondhamster4320]

How can they finish it if they are in a process of legal bankrupcy and shutting down???

[@wulf2863]

Is 2 playable now? It was a mess at release so i just refunded

[@Reg_The_Galah]

@@wulf2863 Elex 2 plays well when I last played it, which was 6 months after it released. Handles better than the first game.

[@s3rit661]

The team wanted to work on gothic remake meanwhile he wanted to work on elex 3, pretty simple

[@Parsifal308]

This may even be a good thing if the ex-pyranha could found an indie studio and develop a new IP, obviously they would have to rethink their AA way of working to adapt to something more indie. Their situation seems similar to what happens with Blizzard, all the originals who worked on their greatest hits left the company and founded new studios that managed to maintain the essence that Blizz lost years ago.

[@JurorNumber24]

Honestly it's kind of surprising it didn't happen sooner. At some point you think someone would've tried to make slight cut backs on the ambition of a game and use those resources to make something that wasn't full of jank. I like a janky small team game, but nearly 30 years and not one polished game says something about how a studio is run.

[@CMFZ_Jax]

That is soul crushing news to wake up to… Pyranha Bytes closing… they existed longer than I am alive and now there won’t be another of their games

[@pedjanedeljkovic7021]

They've lost it after Michael Hoge's departure in 2012.

[@jcdenton853]

100%

[@NightOrchids]

A Truly sad day for Rpg gamers and Piranha Bytes.. I grew up with Gothic and it was my first real rpg adventure .. Much love, respect and thanks to Piranha staff for some amazing games.. It really is sad.. Good luck to all staff😢❤

[@Iwmar]

While most of their recent games were unplayable garbage like Risen 2 & 3 or Elex 2, they still might be my all time favourite RPG dev. First Elex and Risen were really good, while first two Gothic games are both in my top 10 RPG list. PB at its worst was still better than most AAA slop we get nowadays, like Starfield. It's a sad day, but I can't say I'm shocked, that's just PB for you: 2 steps forward 3 steps backwards. Embracer bought them out hoping for a sweet deal with the Saudis, which didn't happen, so now they're axing every studio that can't release anything in the next 12 months to recuperate loses.

[@AlpazliMuhammad-gl5ik]

Gothic 3 (in memory forever)best rpg all time⚔️

[@TheC3lso]

i never saw the industry like that, studios closings doors or massive layoffs.

[@nomercy8989]

Very sad indeed. Their track record was a roller coaster but they made some of the most unique rpgs that are still ahead of 99% of games today in some aspects.

[@italianspiderman5012]

What aspects?

[@nomercy8989]

Believable AI and character with actual daily routines, great world building and the handcrafted feel to some of the games as opposed to the randomly generated feel of most games out there. This of course does not apply to all of their games. Like I said their track record is a roller coaster. But Gothic 1 and 2, Risen 1 and Elex 1 to some extend had these. Hell The Witcher 3 was clearly inspired by the first 2 Gothic games. @@italianspiderman5012

[@jjforcebreaker]

Yeah, Embracer is in very hot water right now. I'm surprised they didn't drop them a long time ago. It super sucks if true, but sadly makes sense in the current situation. Shame about the IPs. Gothic is still one of my fav RPG series out there. I'd pay good money for a Gothic 3 direct sequel or a remake. Hopefully some of the devs will be able to get back right to Gothic- it carries no value for a scam group like Embracer. Stay strong and hopeful, Gothic fans.

[@andreichetan4694]

Gothic 2. Was my first RPG and still to this day, nostalgia or not, remains my favorite Sad to hear this, and thank you Piranha. Take care man!

[@davidlarramore1990]

I loved Elex and Elex 2. Always enjoyed finding games like these that are not super hyped but are fun to play. Fills in down time in my RPG play between the bigger names.

[@GMNGLF-sc2gh]

atleast we have a very great community for gothic , which will continue unofficially patching the games and creating more content❤ which will get even bigger after gothic remake launches 😊

[@Robert-yt9pq]

Mod authors need to release mods in their own language and English. There are too many mods that are only in eg. German. Reading subtitles sucks. The mod Valaya even has an option for slower subtitles.

[@Mr_DGrim]

I just saw this news. and god damn this is heart wrenching.

[@ΠαζαρακιαΣιτι]

I just came here looking to leave a cooment on how awsome your company is for providing us still with awsome games, instead of the total garbage we mostly get today. If Piranha Bytes will close it will be another crime in the gaming industry. The Gaming industry will be much more poor than it currently is. Thank you for giving me awesome childhood with the Gothic Series and memories and feelings that will stay with me forever, and thank you for coming over the odds of the garbage gaming industry and provide us with quality games like ELEX 1-2

[@razvanambarus7905]

Probably the games i played the most during my childhood and adulthood. Sad day indeed.

[@gibbit2k496]

Can you imagine even if they somehow get back together in a new studio it will take a long time to get another great RPG from them because they will basically have to create a new universe and lore again.

[@MADMANNe1]

Gothic 2 is my favorite rpg! Im playing Risen 1 now after watching your videos and im really liking it aswell! Hope the studio pulls thru!

[@Mojaveknight17]

Really! Wow im surprised!

[@madyak6669]

It would be a shame if true. Their games were never groundbreaking,but I always enjoyed them, especially the sci fi tinged Elex games.

[@filozof90]

Comment section is full of bitter Gothic fans who hate the studio for moving to another titles. Elex was their most financially successful game, your hater opinions don't seem to mention it.

[@ravanpee1325]

The original PB died after Mike Hoge left and Björn Pankratz took full controll..he never understood why people like Gothic

[@martinschmidt2479]

Gothic 2 and the mods for it is still my favorit. there is nothing else with the same feel. But with some flaws the other games are mostly great to realy enjoyable as well.

[@MrHammerHigh]

Damn, I feel the hurt in yout voice and I feel it, too. This is a grave loss.

[@MisterZocker]

If Piranha Bytes finds a new publisher they unfortunately wouldnt be able to make a new Gothic because the trademark is owned by THQ Nordic. They'd either have to create a new IP or make ELEX 3 if THQ is selling PB along with the Elex trademark

[@memento81]

nobody will be buying them. They have stagnated for 20 years now, their tech is as ancient as their game design, they have no expertise on engines other than their own and they are not in possession of an IPs of value. Quite frankly they deserve to be gone. They have tried to recapture the magic of Gothic 2 for a quarter of a century now and only hit diminishing returns instead of growing success. With better management and a bit more ambition they could have easily become germany's CDPR but they decided to remain a provincial small 30 people studio. Being overambitious is always a risk but being underambitious is setting yourself up for a slow and certain race to the bottom, which they now have hit. Good riddance.

[@serpent3800]

well said. @@memento81

[@Vicusor22]

​@@memento81 sad, but true

[@vast634]

The people who spearheaded the original Gothic creatively where not there anymore. Its not the "Gothic studio" that closes. Others can now pick up the Gothic IP.

[@Clariselol]

RIIIP, i love all their games tbh. I have good memories

[@jordanbrown5326]

Elex is my favorite series. I would love to see elex 3

[@eivisch]

Dam this hits 😢

[@Ranziel1]

Damn, Gothic was my childhood. It's kind of shocking to see PB go.

[@onizate]

A great loss if it is true... I love their games, and they fill a very important niche in gaming.

[@tomstoffelsound]

NOOOOOOOOOO! This studio is so great. I never really played or liked RPGS until I found Elex. I have gotten into all of their RPGs since then. So sad 😞

[@iljagaimovic9166]

I liked Risen 1 😢 Risen 3 also wasn't bad for my opinion

[@Drvol1]

I just began playing Elex II and am enjoying it. I always thought PB would/should have made an MMORPG. This is very sad news. Subscribed to your channel.

[@insomniadevelopment]

Legendary Studio with Legendary Games, such a bummer, especially in times where larger titles often fail to innovate.

[@peterclay]

This really bums me out. I've watched this studio improve their formula with each release. I really liked elex... I mean piranha bytes was a studio that did more with less and ive always appreciated them. I hope we can keep in touch with members of the team and look forward to seeing if they form up again in the future.

[@ravanpee1325]

The peak of the formula was Gothic 2 Addon Night of the Raven...after that all went down to shit

[@aaron5809]

"Currywurst - presumably a reference to the City of Essen" 😂😂😂

[@musguera]

The studio was probably not the same since Risen 1, that was their last good game. It will be missed and I hope the devs get jobs in another studio.

[@JHarlow329]

This is terrible news, I really enjoyed their games. Good luck to them wherever they go

[@ZeedDesign]

I really wanted them to stop with the futuristic stuff and go back to at least a last medieval fantasy game. It's so sad their last years have been invested in the Elex series.

[@StoneAgeWarfare]

This sucks. I was beginning to become a Piranha Bytes fan when I first played Elex. Recently got Elex 2 and was looking forward to their future games.

[@Xanderman]

Nobody wants more Elex. The message was CLEAR when they released the first game. When Elex 2 came out that was the final straw.

[@darthportus]

@@Xanderman You are full of shite

[@thewisetree2292]

Exactly@@Xanderman

[@StoneAgeWarfare]

@@Xanderman I want more Elex. I was excited when it got a sequel.

[@xvoidgamer]

@@Xanderman Elex is great, if you don't want more elex that's your thing...

[@Jerimiaz]

Say it ain't so!! This would be sad news, indeed 😔

[@vaidotasdarulis]

Now it comes down to if the Gothic remake is successful, because if you also consider Archolos (more than 13k reviews of Steam), the demand for Gothic franchise to continue is huge. Alkimia even hired Kai Rosenkranz who worked on original Gothic, also talented writers like Nicolas Lietzau from SureAI (who wrote Enderal) makes me very optimistic. Of course I would love to see a new Elex, but that's probably not happening, so I guess the true spiritual successors now are the ones that are passionately working on mods and new iterations of Gothic.

[@midibenni]

I played Risen on my xb360 back in days and enjoyed it. very good game.

[@KatalistProductionsKozzySasha]

Such terrible news, I ended up enjoying all PB games. Some more than others, but I was always looking forward to what PB put out next. Would have been nice to see them do a new Gothic game with some money behind them, but its not to be. RIP to one of my all time fav dev studios. From Gothic to Risen to Elex, I enjoyed them all.

[@avivs22]

After Elex 2 it was a matter of time. They dropped the ball big time.

[@wulf2863]

Tbh after the reception elex 2 got im not surprised, really sad anyway

[@gri22lybear]

I’m done with the Internet for today after this news. 😭

[@Yaromoor]

Dude... That's so sad. I've played everything they released from Gothic to Elex 2. Those games have soul put into them, my cute little janky RPG's 😭

[@begamer90]

I never felt such sadness after news of studio closing down. Even though elex is not gothic and oryginal creator of the series were gone after gothic 2 piranha bytes is special and I dont know what will i do without their games...

[@ravanpee1325]

The original PB magic already left with Mike and Kai

[@begamer90]

@@ravanpee1325 true but elex is like a last thing that is close to gothic's magic and I worry no one will gove them money to do anything else. Im hyped for gothic remake but this is a different studio so most probably it will feel like a different "modern" game

[@whatistruth101]

And that's why I went and bought Elex 1&2 for ps4 cd physical copy 😊❤🎉

[@aXPw39]

Hopefully PB will be okay.

[@Skoshtwo]

Elex 2 was already such a huge step down from anything they've ever done, I had my suspicions something was wrong.

[@kevineb5688]

Yeah it's really crazy according to the podcast they really left the company in december so even if Elex 3 comes out it won't be made by the people who invented it.... also there's no reply to all the comments so it seems like it's over

[@lycanaes8418]

Why they don't do kickstarter campaign, I know a lot of people would really be happy to help. In terms of other issues, well damn it just hire another CEO who's younger, more ambitious and hungry.

[@innerbytes]

Elex 1 was the best game they made since the Gothic 1 and 2.

[@supereldinho]

I'm surprised they lasted as long as they did. As much as I love the Gothic games, Risen 1 and even Elex 1, there's only so much jank and crudeness that can entertain the niche audience they've been living off of for the past 20 years. You'd think after all this time they'd put some effort into refining their gameplay instead of riding the coattails of Gothic, which was crude even by 2000's standards. It would seem they and Yu Suzuki of Shenmue 3 infamy have forgotten that the gaming world has gradually evolved outside their little bubble and their core audience, who are just as stuck in the past as they are. All things considered, their downfall was inevitable.

[@gergoretvari6373]

I was sad when LionHead Studios shut down, hopefully Piranha Bytes won't meet the same fate.

[@ImNotFlawless]

Recently played through Elex and I really enjoyed it. I was very excited for the continuation of their games. This sucks.

[@salamathesusatbiyernesulit2161]

This is sad news. I grew up playing Gothic, Risen and Elex.

[@CaveTrollsKillaz]

Dangit, thats another part of young days taken away...

[@theruleseekergamez8415]

We Need elex 3 tho! 😮

[@phaedruslive]

What a terrible bit of news. I've been a fan since the first Gothic, and I just hope some of the core members can form an indie studio and make magic happen again. We could have something really special if these backbone members were able to go back to basics and build from nothing with all their knowledge.

[@ravanpee1325]

The original Gothic 1+2 team left already a few years ago..

[@timosauter975]

Just a comment regarding a new Gothic game ( see 9:50 in the video): unfortunately Embracer seems to be open to sell PB with the rights for ELEX on top of it, but not Gothic. So even if PB finds a new publisher, you won't see a new Gothic game by them as they don't own the IP. On the flip side that is wyh the remake of Gothic 1 is still on, as it has nothing to do with PB. It is a sad irony how this is playing out, if the speculation is correct and Bjorn wanted to make Elex and major parts of the team wanted to make a new Gothic. With this turn of events, even if PB is somehow safed by a new Publisher, none of them will get what they wanted.

[@ravanpee1325]

Because the Elex IP is worth shit..

[@whathitwonder4037]

NOO!! Don't shut down, just tighten up the combat!

[@joshwent]

They've had twenty years to tighten up the combat.