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[JayK47]

Risen 3 was so bad, I stopped buying anything they made after that.

I wish them luck finding employment.

 

[Sentenza]

I played a little bit of the first and didn't like it too much, but it was horrible.

How is the second compared to it?

The first one was actually rather solid. Flawed like most PB games, but with some great parts too.
It's the second ELEX which is unmitigated trash and managed to solve exactly zero flaws of the previous one while adding a whole bunch of new ones.

 

[Bkdk]

It's about time, this dev has been releasing mediocre games for the past decade. I bet many senior devs and studio head is already got rich though with embracer spending so much on them.

 

[StereoVsn]

Sorry to disappoint, senpai.

Ofc, I'm half joking about me looking forward to playing all those waifu gacha games.

You know you are going to be all over them!

 

[BacklashWave534]

Yea I liked Elex 1 quite a bit. Bought the sequel but haven’t started it yet.

Same. Loved the first one but i feel completely unmotivated to start the 2nd game.

 

[SirKicksalot]

What, the "weak character for 10 hours while everyone is a cunt also raptors and boars" schtick didn't work for the 9th time?

Elex was almost a return to form but the sequel sounds iterative in all the wrong ways.

 

[StueyDuck]

The elex games are always ones that I see in my library and think I should really play them some time. But then I start them and realise how super eurojank they really are.

Almost the poster child at this point for what a eurojank rpg can be.

They have a long history however and it's sad to see them go

 

[P:axMagellanic]

Gothic 3 was the biggest let down I've ever had in games. Christ it was shit.

End of an era though.

 

[Dazraell]

Gothic 3 was the biggest let down I've ever had in games. Christ it was shit.

End of an era though.

I remember playing Gothic 3 at launch and how it was unoptimised, choppy and outright broken We had a running joke between friends that going on foot to places was much faster than using actual fast travel as you had to wait so much time until the game fucking loads that it took eternity

 

[mdkirby]

Whoever's making these decisions is a troglodyte.

Unfortunately, I think embracer got themselves in a position where it was either massive cost cutting (which this is part of), or completely closure, which would be the end of every studio they own. They could sell them off in a fire sale; but it expect they have been trying to do that and not finding interest. If we were on 2020 they’d have had plenty of buyers, but everyone now is in contraction mode.

 

[amigastar]

I will miss the hope that they make another Gothic 2 quality game just to be let down again.

 

[Hudo]

So, there are some German websites reporting from a German podcast (with generally reliable people) saying that the director of PB, Björn Pankratz, has already left the studio in November (apparently there was some conflict with him and the team). THQ Nordic Europe are apparently trying hard to sell the studio to someone instead of shutting it down. They were apparently even ready to leave Piranha Bytes with the rights to the Elex IP (but not Gothic).
Employees have been served their termination notices and the usual termination period is 3 months in Germany. So, I guess the studio will shut down in March or April for good, if no one else is saving them.

 

[M0G]

It would be nice if if one of the big boys saved this company from closure, inbetween their massive acquisitions of companies churning out rotting corpses of AAA titles. Their games are rough around the edges but always have heart.

 

[Sentenza]

On one hand there's sympathy for the studio that worked at some of my all-time favorites.
On the other hand it's hard to ignore that they got half a dozen chances to top their past achievements and they systematically fell short every single time.
It's like they were completely unable to learn from their mistakes. In some areas their games got even worse (i.e. ELEX 1 and 2 may very well have their WORST combat since Gothic 3).

Even on the Codex, where they always had one of their most rabid fanbases, there's a whole bunch of people shrugging and saying basically "They got their chances and they blew them multiple times. What can you do about it".

 

[adamsapple]

The Essen-based development studio Piranha Bytes is on the brink of collapse. This is reported by games journalists André Peschke and Jochen Gebauer in their joint podcast The Pod. According to the report, the developers were laid off by the parent company Embracer Group back in December after having been on short-time working since the fall. Creative head Björn Pankratz had already left the studio due to internal differences.

Piranha Bytes still has the opportunity to find a buyer, reports The Pod, citing several anonymous sources. The team is currently in negotiations with various publishers. It is even conceivable that Piranha Bytes could keep its name and take its role-playing game brand "Elex" with it. The studio most recently worked on the third part of the series.

https://www.heise.de/news/Kultstudio-Piranha-Bytes-steht-wohl-vor-dem-Aus-9601283.html

 

[crackajack]

THQ Nordic Europe are apparently trying hard to sell the studio to someone instead of shutting it down. They were apparently even ready to leave Piranha Bytes with the rights to the Elex IP (but not Gothic).

Good luck with that. Gothic has some value but probably already not really that much, Elex (and Risen?) and just the studio name is pretty much worthless.
I guess CD project could want to expand and integrate them.
I also think Sony needs to offer some rpg beside a final fantasy exclusive deal and could try to manage and improve. Maybe guerilla as overlords and using decima make a horizon rpg spinoff.
Two possibilities with some proximity.
It would be cheap to get the team but to elevate them properly expensive and then risky.

I guess if embracer continues there should be quite enough people available to form new Respawns or something. Or some will get hired at other studios. The daedelic people probably should have never left their 2d adventure foundation and PB probably needed a shake up anyway, never growing past their early Gothic success.

 

[Sentenza]

The brand ELEX holds no value whatsoever. I can't imagine any publisher caring to produce a new one if they got the IP for free, let alone be willing to purchase it.

And most of the limited market appeal of PB is tied to Gothic, while their track record outside of that IP can be described as spotty at best.

Maybe now that Bjorn the Moron left they would prove to be better with a smarter leadership, but chances are we'll never know.

 

[Thief1987]

Good luck with that. Gothic has some value but probably already not really that much, Elex (and Risen?) and just the studio name is pretty much worthless.
I guess CD project could want to expand and integrate them.
I also think Sony needs to offer some rpg beside a final fantasy exclusive deal and could try to manage and improve. Maybe guerilla as overlords and using decima make a horizon rpg spinoff.
Two possibilities with some proximity.
It would be cheap to get the team but to elevate them properly expensive and then risky.

I guess if embracer continues there should be quite enough people available to form new Respawns or something. Or some will get hired at other studios. The daedelic people probably should have never left their 2d adventure foundation and PB probably needed a shake up anyway, never growing past their early Gothic success.

Focus Home also potentially could pick them up, i think.

 

[xrnzaaas]

Piranha Bytes needs a wake up call. Elex was more or less another Gothic/Risen with added sci-fi elements (which sometimes didn't work) and it had plenty of outdated mechanics. Elex 2 didn't improve any of that and it was even more outdated.

Instead of making Elex 3 the studio should take a hard look at what their competition is doing, learn some things and then try with a new IP (and not necessarily with another open world Gothic-like RPG).

 

[Dazraell]

I've read an interview on one of the Polish websites (CD-Action) with one of the sources who first informed about this

Summary of the interview:

• Björn Pankratz left the studio in November 2023. The source speculates that Piranha Bytes's closure might be a direct result of his decision
• The official announcement about Piranha Bytes is expected to be published next week
• Piranha Bytes's closure was a big secret. Germany's game dev scene is very small and no one heard about it until fans started noticing signs that something might be going on at the studio, prompting insiders to investigate
• WIKI6 and Currywurst are the codenames for the same project, which is believed to be ELEX 3. It was pulled out and published under a new name because of some issues with documentation. Source says there is a chance that grant might still remain active if Piranha Bytes will manage to find a different publisher for this project
• Employees at Piranha Bytes were apparently interested in creating Gothic-like dark fantasy game with a smaller scope after Elex 1, but Björn Pankrantz was blocking this idea, pushing the studio to focus on Elex brand, which resulted in Elex 2. The reception of Elex 2 undermined Pankrantz's arguments even further
• Piranha Bytes and THQ Nordic weren't happy about releasing Elex 2 so close to Elden Ring. The source speculates that the decision for release window might have came from the higher ups, the Embracer Group
• THQ Nordic really wanted to keep Piranha Bytes and if this would be up to them, they would do everything they can to keep them operating
• Employees received termination letters in December and they were given entire month to prepare presentations for potential buyers
• There are two potential buyers interested in acquiring Piranha Bytes. Source is not willing to reveal who they are, but they are apparently credible and genuinely interested
• If they don't find a buyer, Piranha Bytes is also considering Kickstarter as an alternate option

 

[KungFucius]

Elex 2 via PS+ was my second most played PS5 game of last year

Euro jank all the way!

Is it good? I liked part 1 enough to sink in ~ 30 hours but had an SSD failure that took my saves with it. Might need to try 2 on PS++ before my sub expires.

 

[Labadal]

My guess is that both ELEX games failed commercially.

It is said that the studio head left. He wants to work on Gothic, but he did not get his way.

 

[xrnzaaas]

Is it good? I liked part 1 enough to sink in ~ 30 hours but had an SSD failure that took my saves with it. Might need to try 2 on PS++ before my sub expires.

I played Elex 2 on PS5 immediately after release and it lacked performance/quality modes. Which means it ran in native 4K and the framerate tanked in most city and other heavier areas. At least it didn't crash frequently like Elex 1 on the PS4 (especially towards the end).

Afaik it offers a choice of a graphics mode now so it should be better.

My guess is that both ELEX games failed commercially.

It is said that the studio head left. He wants to work on Gothic, but he did not get his way.

You can't deny Bjorn's past achievements and making Gothic one of the most memorable action RPG's of all time, but he kept his studio stuck in the past. It's like they were scared of making ANY changes to the established formula and just kept doing the same games over and over again. All they've changed was the setting (pirates for Risen, sci-fi for Elex), but the gameplay was always roughly the same. This might work for several years, but not when you're doing it for 20 years.

 

[LazyParrot]

Employees at Piranha Bytes were apparently interested in creating Gothic-like dark fantasy game with a smaller scope after Elex 1, but Björn Pankrantz was blocking this idea, pushing the studio to focus on Elex brand, which resulted in Elex 2. The reception of Elex 2 undermined Pankrantz's arguments even further

It is said that the studio head left. He wants to work on Gothic, but he did not get his way.

So which is it?

 

[Hudo]

If they don't find a buyer, Piranha Bytes is also considering Kickstarter as an alternate option

Death by a thousand cuts.

 

[Dazraell]

My guess is that both ELEX games failed commercially.

It is said that the studio head left. He wants to work on Gothic, but he did not get his way.

Actually, it was apparently the other way around. Some sources says Pankratz was pushing for Elex brand, while devs at the studio were interested in doing a Gothic-like dark fantasy game. Pankratz was apparently very determined to not doing any Gothic game as he felt they will never live up to fans expecations. He was a reason why Elex 2 happened. And he also pushed for Elex 3

 

[Hudo]

So which is it?

Well, the original sources of all this info, the podcast "The Pod", are saying that the team wanted to work on Gothic while Pankratz wanted to leave Gothic behind and do new stuff, hence why Elex 3 is in development.

 

[Dazraell]

So which is it?

Direct translation of the interview by Google Translate:

There were rumors that the team wanted to create a new Gothic. Did Björn block this process in any way, which could have contributed to the conflict of interest?

Piranha Bytes employees did not want to create a strictly new Gothic, in the sense of another part of the series, but something similar, certainly in terms of scale. They wanted to move away from large SF and focus on dark fantasy with a smaller world. Björn has repeatedly emphasized that he does not want to return to this brand or anything like it, so he was fully committed to developing Elex. This, of course, led to divisions, because if the most important person responsible for the creative direction of the project is not open to other proposals, conflict is inevitable. You know, if we are dealing with a leader who runs his projects with an iron fist, but the studio achieves success, then such a person can be trusted. Then maybe not everyone is happy, but you can see that this person knows what he is doing. Unfortunately, Elex 2 did not work out and there were no arguments for Björn anymore.

 

[Dazraell]

Death by a thousand cuts.

I mean, it worked for Double Fine, inXile and Obsidian up until each of them were acquired by Microsoft. Not a long term plan in any way, but at least could give them some time, I guess

 

[xrnzaaas]

I mean, it worked for Double Fine, inXile and Obsidian up until each of them were acquired by Microsoft. Not a long term plan in any way, but at least could give them some time, I guess

It's difficult to say how many PB fans are left believing they can still make a great game. The best Gothic-related stuff of the recent years was The Chronicles of Myrtana which was a fanmade project. And Gothic 1 Remake is already being made by a different studio (and looking rather good) so that's covered as well.

 

[Hudo]

I mean, it worked for Double Fine, inXile and Obsidian up until each of them were acquired by Microsoft. Not a long term plan in any way, but at least could give them some time, I guess

True but Double Fine, inXile and Obsidian have a far better track record and are more widely known than Piranha Bytes. I mean, bless 'em for really trying but they haven't made anything good since the first Risen, either by choice or by inability. Even their most hardcore fans, the people frequenting the "World of Gothic" forums, were essentially all "meh" about Elex 2. And I doubt that Elex 3 will be any different.

Maybe it's time to close up shop and give the IPs to other developers. I bet THQ Nordic could find a Polish (lot's of fans in that country) studio that could do a far better job at a new Gothic than PB could.

 

[Dazraell]

It's difficult to say how many PB fans are left believing they can still make a great game. The best Gothic-related stuff of the recent years was The Chronicles of Myrtana which was a fanmade project. And Gothic 1 Remake is already being made by a different studio (and looking rather good) so that's covered as well.

True but Double Fine, inXile and Obsidian have a far better track record and are more widely known than Piranha Bytes. I mean, bless 'em for really trying but they haven't made anything good since the first Risen, either by choice or by inability. Even their most hardcore fans, the people frequenting the "World of Gothic" forums, were essentially all "meh" about Elex 2. And I doubt that Elex 3 will be any different.

Maybe it's time to close up shop and give the IPs to other developers. I bet THQ Nordic could find a Polish (lot's of fans in that country) studio that could do a far better job at a new Gothic than PB could.

I generally agree, but I think it's all about the optics. Piranha Bytes is a very small studio and costs for their operations could technically be covered by a successful Kickstarter up until they would find a publisher. I don't think Elex 3 as a project has a lot of legs, regardless of its premise. I haven't played any of these games as Risen 3 was the last PB game I've played so I operate mostly on what I heard about these two games. And there is the other thing, the golden era of Kickstarter is pretty much over so doing a successful campaign won't be an easy task and Elex 3 isn't the most exciting option. If they would announce spiritual successor to Gothic though, yeah, I do think this could have some potential

Maybe it's time to close up shop and give the IPs to other developers. I bet THQ Nordic could find a Polish (lot's of fans in that country) studio that could do a far better job at a new Gothic than PB could.

I can confirm this as someone from Poland that Gothic has ridiculously huge fan following here. THQ Nordic even did Polish covers for physical copies of Gothic games on Switch recently. There might be some studios who would be interested in either acquiring or working with Piranha Bytes. People here theorise about CD Projekt Red potentially acquiring them, but I don't think it's something they would be interested as Piranha Bytes doesn't really feel like something fitting CDPR's portfolio. Personally, I would probably consider 11 bit Studios as one of the possible options

 

[xrnzaaas]

CDPR - maybe they'd bite. As for 11 bit - imo they picks their projects mostly based on how interesting or unique they are, not based on whether they would appeal to Polish fans. Plus they currently have problems of their own with The Invincible game flopping and both The Alters and Thaumaturge not really looking to become big hits.

 

[adamsapple]

Is it good? I liked part 1 enough to sink in ~ 30 hours but had an SSD failure that took my saves with it. Might need to try 2 on PS++ before my sub expires.

"Good" is a very subjective slippery slope lol. It's definitely 100% Euro Jank, I'll give you that.

But I got sucked into the world enough that I played it through.

 

[Dazraell]

 

[amigastar]

I hope they can turn the tide.