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Piranha Bytes
German video game developer / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Piranha Games.
Piranha Bytes GmbH was a German video game developer based in Essen. It was best known for their Gothic and Risen series of role-playing video games.
Quick Facts Formerly, Company type ...
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Formerly |
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Company type | Subsidiary |
Industry | Video games |
Founded | 1997; 27 years ago (1997) in Bochum, Germany |
Founders |
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Defunct | June 30, 2024 (June 30, 2024) |
Headquarters | , Germany |
Key people | Michael Rüve (managing director) |
Products | |
Number of employees | 33 (2021) |
Parent |
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Website | piranha-bytes.com |
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Piranha Bytes was founded in Bochum in 1997 and bought by Phenomedia in 1999. When Phenomedia filed for insolvency in May 2002, the Piranha Bytes management bought out the studio. THQ Nordic, as part of Embracer Group, then acquired the company in May 2019.
Piranha Bytes was reported to be in the process of closing since December 2023. It was closed sometime in June 2024 due to Embracer Group failing to find a new owner for the company, according to a former employee; the company declined to make a public statement on their closure.[1]