THQ Nordic Acquires ELEX Developer Piranha Bytes

THQ Nordic (of 8chan fame) has grown yet again, thanks to the acquisition of German studio Piranha Bytes. The developer is best known for its RPG series Gothic. This marks the latest purchase by THQ Nordic, which has become known from buying an unprecedented number of small studios and IP, many of them dormant.

The terms of the acquisition, including price, were not disclosed. The studio currently houses 31 employees and will continue to operate out of Essen, Germany, though now it will be a part of the bigger THQ Nordic machine. Naturally, the acquisition also gives THQ Nordic the rights to ELEX and Risen, though the big focus for Piranha Bytes’ new parent is Gothic.

This move isn’t wholly unsurprising, as Piranha Bytes already has a history with THQ Nordic. ELEX, the studio’s most recent game, was published by THQ. While it did happen prior to its acquisition, the Risen series was published by the now-THQ-owned Deep Silver.

THQ Nordic hasn’t laid out its plans for Piranha Bytes yet, though it’s likely we’ll see Gothic reemerge in some form, whether it be a remaster or a full-on new game. However, the company is certainly keeping itself busy, as there are a staggering 48 unannounced games in various stages of development, including one from Metro Exodus developer 4A games.

If you’re wondering how THQ Nordic is able to have such a high volume of projects, that’s because it’s spent most of its recent time purchasing studios and franchises from across the industry. The publisher recently earned around $225 million to spend on acquisitions, and it’s certainly wasting no time putting that money to use. It appears that THQ Nordic is most interested in buying franchises that have become dormant in recent years, with notable acquisitions including Timesplitters, Alone in the Dark, and Kingdoms of Amalur. You can keep track of all the acquisitions, which are simply too much to list out, here.