Last month, Embracer Group CEO Lars Wingefors assured that the company’s restructuring efforts, which saw it shut down multiple studios and lay off roughly 27% of its staff, had ended and had “created a stronger foundation for improved profitability, cash flows and long-term value creation.” Yet as of today, Embracer has closed Pieces Interactive, the developer behind this year’sAlone in the Darkremake.
Although there’s been no announcement by Embracer itself, Pieces Interactive has confirmed its closure onits own website. The studio was founded in 2007 and, in its 17-year history, launched over 10 games. After working with THQ on the second expansion for action RPGTitan Quest, it was acquired by Embracer (THQ’s parent company) in 2017. Under Embracer, it handled anotherTitan Questexpansion and then the aforementioned remake of the originalAlone in the Darkfrom 1992, which launched this past March.
No reason has been given for Pieces Interactive’s closure, but it should be noted that theAlone in the Darkremake was apparently not a big hit for Embracer. There are no exact sales figures but, inEmbracer’s report on its 2024 fiscal year, it saidAlone in the Dark“saw a positive reception from users, but a mixed receptionfrom critics and ultimately performed below management expectations.” Regardless, the shut down of Pieces Interactive is another contributor to the alreadydire number of games industry layoffsto have taken place this year.
Other studios to have been closed by Embracer in the past year or so includeSaints Rowdeveloper Volitionand Free Radical, which was in the process ofmaking a newTimesplitters. Others,such as Eidos-Montréal, were impacted by layoffs, whileGearboxandSaber Interactivehave been sold off. Despite the layoffs, Embracerintends to launch 70 projects(which includes DLC) by the end of March 2025. It will also besplitting itself into three separate companies, though none of them will keep the Embracer Group name.
