Piranha Bytes Admits to "Difficult Situation", Tells Fans "Don't Write Us Off Yet"

Risen and Elex developer Piranha Bytes has acknowledged it's in a "difficult situation", but the studio remains optimistic about its future.


Published: January 22, 2024 9:09 AM /

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A close-up of Jax, the main character in the Piranha Bytes game Elex 2

Elex and Gothic developer Piranha Bytes has taken to social media to share a somewhat cryptic update on the current state of the studio.

In the message, which was posted to X (formerly known as Twitter) earlier today, Piranha Bytes says it's "in a difficult situation" and that a lot of news about the studio is circulating at the moment.

In response to this, Piranha Bytes implores fans not to "write us off yet", claiming it will do "whatever it takes to find a partner for this project".

Jax standing in front of massive fortress gates flanked by guards in Elex 2, a Piranha Bytes game
Piranha Bytes is known for quirky RPGs like Elex 2.

Here's the full text of Piranha Bytes' message.

Dear fans,

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

We do everything to continue creating worlds in which you can lose yourself. This is what our hearts have always beaten for.

We are convinced that we will succeed. We are creative minds and there's no lack of ideas! We stick together, no matter what.

Now, we are focussing on this goal with all our strength and do whatever it takes to find a partner for this project. As soon as there are any news, we will share them with you. Thank you very much for your continuous support!

Your Piranhas

These comments are apparently a response to rumors that Piranha Bytes is close to being shut down or gutted by layoffs, in a similar manner to several other Embracer Group-owned companies in recent months.

Naturally, neither Embracer nor Piranha Bytes itself hasn't substantiated those rumors, and the developer hasn't disclosed exactly what the "difficult situation" in which it finds itself actually is.

A group of characters gathered around an altar on which a priest-like figure stands in the Piranha Bytes game Gothic
Piranha Bytes also created the original Gothic, although it's not working on the remake.

These rumors have also suggested that the project Piranha Bytes is currently working on - and therefore the most likely candidate for the "project" mentioned in today's message - is, in fact, Elex 3.

It's worth taking all of this with a pinch of salt, because nothing has been officially unveiled yet. However, today's message does demonstrate that whatever the studio is working on, it seems to have hit a significant snag.

We've reached out to Piranha Bytes' parent company THQ Nordic for comment on this story and will update as soon as we hear anything back.

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