Piranha Bytes' Björn Pankratz and Jennifer Pankratz have founded Pithead Studio.
Jennifer and Bjorn Pankratz – who previously served Piranha Bytes as story and game designer and creative director, respectively – hope to "develop immersive and fantastic indie games" at their new start-up, Pithead, which was formed on July 4, 2024.
Neither developer commented directly on their former employer, Embracer-owned Piranha Bytes, which is thought to have shut down at the end of June.
The pair have rebranded their YouTube page to match their new venture and uploaded a five-minute-long video detailing what's next for the team, explaining that their new studio's name was inspired by the mineshafts near their home.
THQ Nordic acquired German game developer Piranha Bytes back in 2019. Neither Embracer nor Piranha have commented formally on the reported closure.
