Pieces Interactive has announced its closure with a picture posted on X with the message, “Pieces Interactive 2007 – 2024. Thanks For Playing With Us”. This is coming three months after the release of Alone in the Dark. It almost feels as if publishers and conglomerates are telling studios that you either become commercially successful or you will be shut down.
Pieces Interactive has updated its website to reflect the closure. The homepage of their website now has the same image that was shared on its X handle followed by a message that recapped the company’s development history.
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“Pieces Interactive released over ten titles on PC, Console, and Mobile since 2007, both our own concepts such as Puzzlegeddon, Fret Nice, Leviathan Warships, Robo Surf, and Kill to Collect, as well as work-for-hire titles such as Magicka 2 and several DLCs for Magicka,” read the message on the company’s website.
“Our client list includes Paradox Interactive, Koei Tecmo, Arrowhead Game Studios, Koch Media and RaceRoom Entertainment. In 2017, Pieces Interactive were acquired by Embracer Group after working with the expansion for Titan Quest, Titan Quest: Ragnarök, and the third expansion for Titan Quest, Titan Quest: Atlantis. Our last release was the reimagining of Alone in the Dark.”
Pieces Interactive laid off employees in April
In April, barely a month after the release of Alone in the Dark, Pieces Interactive reportedly laid off an undisclosed number of employees. The news was shared by impacted employees at that time.
Two weeks ago, most of the impacted employees started sharing their profiles on ArtStation and soliciting the help of their connections to land new roles. It appears the last working day for the employees impacted by the April layoff was sometime this June.
“IM Getting Laid Off,” Hansen wrote in a post that had close to a million views at the time of writing. “I’ll make a better post with my links and all that once the feelings have settled, but ugh. My heart is breaking for myself and my coworkers right now.”
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The closure of Pieces Interactive was announced on LinkedIn by character artist Gustav Pethrus. In a post on Monday, June 17, 2024, Pethrus wrote, “Unfortunately Pieces Interactive is closing down, so I’m looking for new opportunities”.
Two weeks ago, technical designer Gizela Wikström announced that her time at Pieces Interactive had come to an end. In an emotional post, Wikström said she was “really sad and lost” considering the amazing time she had spend in the studio for the last two years.
Why did Embracer shut down Pieces Interactive?
The shuttering of Pieces Interactive is not unconnected with the poor commercial performance of its latest release, Alone in the Dark. Embracer had earlier reported that the game did not meet sales expectations in their 2023/2024 financial report.
Throughout its existence, Pieces Interactive mostly served as a support studio. However, THQ Nordic invested heavily to bring Jodie Comer and David Harbour to Alone in the Dark as Emily Hartford and Edward Carnby—which was supposed to be the studio’s breakout title.
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According to VG Insights, Alone in the Dark reboot sold around 52,650 units and grossed $2.4 million in revenue. On Metacritic, the game’s highest average score was 66 on PC and Xbox Series X while the score dropped to 63 on PS5.
Since last year, Embrace has shut down several studios including Saints Row developer, Volition, and sold off others as it tries to position the debt-laden company on the path of profitability.
The Swedish conglomerate was forced into restructuring after a $2 billion Saudi funding deal fell through. The restructuring program which started in June last year and ended in Q1 this year saw nearly 1,400 employees leave the company with several unannounced projects canceled.
