The Alone in the Dark remake developer Pieces Interactive has been shut down by its parent company, Embracer Group, amidst a series of closures by the Swedish conglomerate company.
Over recent years, Embracer Group has earned a reputation for acquiring and subsequently closing numerous subsidiaries. Since 2022, numerous studios under Embracer Group have faced layoffs. By late 2023, Embracer Group had laid off more than 900 employees in an effort to reduce its substantial $2 billion debt.
Embracer Group—formerly known as Nordic Games—owns over 100 studios, including Coffee Stain Studios (Goat Simulator), Cryptic Studios (Star Trek Online), Crystal Dynamics (Tomb Raider), and Dark Horse Comics, the publisher behind Star Wars, 300, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. According to GamesIndustry.biz, Embracer Group currently has 141 development projects in progress across its various businesses, down from a previous 221. This indicates that around 80 projects have been cancelled over the past few years.
Pieces Interactive posted a farewell statement on their website, reading: “2007 – 2024, Thanks for playing with us.” The studio reflected on its 17 years of contributions to the gaming community with titles such as Puzzlegeddon, Fret Nice, Leviathan Warships, Robo Surf, and Kill to Collect. Pieces Interactive was acquired by Embracer Group in 2017 following the success of the RPG Titan Quest and its expansions, Titan Quest: Ragnarok and Titan Quest: Atlantis.
Alone in the Dark, a reimagining of Infogrames’s 1992 series, was released in March 2024 to mixed reviews, despite featuring a compelling lead duo of Jodie Comer and David Harbour. The original game was one of the earliest survival horror titles, but the 2024 remake failed to captivate many players. It appears that Alone in the Dark did not meet Embracer Group’s sales expectations, leading to the closure of Pieces Interactive.
The mention of the infamous parent company comes with disdain for many, and while this closure is not surprising, it is sad to see a studio go down and talented employees laid off.
About the Author
Khushaal Singh
he/him
You can find Khush at your local hardcore gig, writing crappy short stories, or scouring the internet for an obscure indie game to set his teeth into. If not, he will probably be setting himself up for osteoarthritis, by trying to set a new PB in his rhythm game of choice for the month.
