THQ Nordic has announced the creation of a new studio. Alkimia Interactive is a Barcelona-based developer whose first project will be the upcoming Gothic remake. The team says they'll be ready to share more details about said remake in just a couple of months.
What can we expect from Alkimia Interactive's Gothic remake?
Back in late 2019, THQ Nordic released a playable teaser for a potential Gothic remake. Created mainly to gauge interest in a full remake, the teaser was - and still is - free if you own a game in the Gothic series or anything developed by Piranha Bytes (who THQ Nordic acquired in May 2019). It seems that interest in the remake was well and truly gauged, because according to THQ Nordic, development is now "well underway" on the project. It aims to update the 2001 original with new visuals and a gameplay overhaul while remaining true to the game's plucky, ambitious spirit.
THQ Nordic created Alkimia Interactive as a studio subsidiary in summer 2020 after the Gothic remake was given the go-ahead. Studio head Reinhard Pollice says the team's ambition is to become a "top-notch RPG studio" and to become one of the best PC and console core game developers in southern Europe. We reached out to THQ Nordic, who confirmed that Alkimia Interactive is, in fact, a rebranding of THQ Nordic Barcelona. THQ Nordic's head of PR Florian Emmerich told us that when the team started out with the Gothic remake prototype, it was "not set in stone" whether the remake would progress any further. However, once the project was confirmed, THQ wanted to "set up a proper studio" to work on the game.
What do we know about the Gothic remake release date?
Sadly, right now, we don't have a release date for the Gothic remake. THQ Nordic and Alkimia say that the hard work they've been putting in on the project will be revealed "in the next couple of months", so a release date may be some way off. When the remake does land, we know it'll be available for PC and next-gen consoles, which means you probably shouldn't expect it to land on PS4 or Xbox One.
When we know more about the Gothic remake, we'll be sure to tell you. Until then, it might be worth heading into the Colony and checking out the original Gothic series, all of which are available on Steam. Some aspects of the games haven't aged too well, but they're interesting curios at the very least, and hey - they'll grant you access to the playable teaser. Watch this space for more info.
Are you excited for Alkimia Interactive's Gothic remake? Let us know in the comments below!
Update: March 11, 2021, 10:34 AM: Our original story stated that we weren't sure whether THQ Nordic Barcelona was the same studio as Alkimia Interactive. After reaching out to THQ Nordic for clarification, we've edited the story to reflect our new knowledge.
