Piranha Bytes

Piranha Bytes GmbH is a German video game developer based in Essen. Founded in 1997, it is best known for their Gothic and Risen series of role-playing video games. The studio is a subsidiary of THQ Nordic and, as of August 2021, employs 33 people.

Not to be confused with Piranha Games, a Canadian video game developer.

Piranha Bytes GmbH
Formerly
  • Piranha Bytes Software GmbH (1997–2002)
  • Pluto 13 GmbH (2002–2019)
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryVideo games
Founded1997 (1997) in Bochum, Germany
Founders
  • Alex Brüggemann
  • Michael Hoge
  • Stefan Nyul
  • Tom Putzki
Headquarters
Essen
,
Germany
Key people
Michael Rüve (managing director)
Products
Number of employees
33[1][2] (2021)
Parent
Websitepiranha-bytes.com

History

Alex Brüggemann, Michael "Mike" Hoge, Stefan Nyul, and Tom Putzki founded Piranha Bytes in Bochum in 1997, incorporating it as Piranha Bytes Software GmbH.[3][4] In 1999, the company became a wholly owned subsidiary of the German publisher Phenomedia.[4] Piranha Bytes' first game, Gothic, was released in 2001.[3] Shortly thereafter, Brüggemann left the company to work on smaller game projects, eventually designing The Settlers: Rise of an Empire. He died on 19 January 2013 after a long illness.[5]

Following a financial scandal at Phenomedia, the parent company filed for insolvency in May 2002.[4] Piranha Bytes' management performed a management buyout, concluded in September that year, and transferred the studio's trademarks and intellectual property, including the rights to the Gothic series, to Pluto 13 GmbH, a new entity that assumed "Piranha Bytes" as its trading name.[3][4] Only one of the four original founders remained with the new incorporation.[3] In March 2004, Piranha Bytes was among the founders of GAME Bundesverband der deutschen Games-Branche.[6]

On 22 May 2019, THQ Nordic announced that it had acquired the studio to undisclosed terms.[7] At the time, Piranha Bytes had 31 employees in its Essen offices.[7] Through the acquisition, the company was reincorporated as Piranha Bytes GmbH.[3] By June that year, it had 32 employees.[8]

Games
Year Title Platform(s)
2001 Gothic Microsoft Windows
2002 Gothic II Microsoft Windows
2003 Gothic II: Night of the Raven Microsoft Windows
2006 Gothic 3 Microsoft Windows
2009 Risen Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360
2012 Risen 2: Dark Waters Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
2014 Risen 3: Titan Lords Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360
2017 ELEX Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
2022 ELEX II Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
TBA (likely 2026) WIKI6 (Codename) TBA

References
  1. Fröhlich, Petra (13 April 2021). "Die größten Games-Studios in Deutschland 2021" [The largest game studios in Germany in 2021]. GamesWirtschaft (in German). Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  2. "Embracer Group Annual Report & Sustainability Report 2020 / 2021" (PDF). Embracer Group. 25 August 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 August 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  3. "Company". Piranha Bytes. Archived from the original on 2 July 2019. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  4. Lück, Patrick (29 April 2012). "Piranha Bytes – Die Fantasten aus dem Pott" [Piranha Bytes – The Fantasts from the Pott]. GameStar (in German). Archived from the original on 23 December 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  5. "Gothic-Miterfinder Alex Brüggemann verstorben" [Gothic co-creator Alex Brüggemann has died]. Making Games (in German). 21 January 2013. Archived from the original on 31 July 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  6. Klinge, Heiko (8 March 2004). "G.A.M.E. – Bundesverband der Spiele-Entwickler gegründet" [G.A.M.E. – Federal Union of Game Developers Founded]. GameStar (in German). Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  7. Handrahan, Matthew (22 May 2019). "THQ Nordic acquires Gothic developer Piranha Bytes". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  8. Wingefors, Lars (27 August 2019). "THQ Nordic Annual Report 2018/19" (PDF). Cision. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 September 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
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