Veteran Game Developers from Piranha Bytes Launch New Venture, Pithead Studio

Björn Pankratz and Jennifer Pankratz, formerly of Piranha Bytes, have established Pithead Studio as their new endeavor. As the ex-story and game designer and creative director at Piranha Bytes, Jennifer and Bjorn Pankratz are looking to craft 'immersive and fantastic indie games' through their startup, which was officially formed on July 4, 2024. Although neither of the developers has directly addressed their departure from Embracer-owned Piranha Bytes, which reportedly ceased operations at the end of June, they have revamped their YouTube channel to reflect their new venture and shared a video outlining their plans. The video, which spans five minutes, delves into the inspiration behind the name 'Pithead Studio', drawing from the mineshafts near their residence. Following THQ Nordic's acquisition of Piranha Bytes in 2019, the recent closure of the studio has not been formally acknowledged by either Embracer or Piranha Bytes.