Giana Sisters developer Black Forest Games buys itself out of Embracer: 'Some of the best games of the last decade came from teams of fifty, not five hundred'

Black Forest Games, the German developer behind the early Kickstarter hit Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams and remakes of the first two Destroy All Humans! titles, has parted ways with THQ Nordic following a management buyout. The studio, now operating under the Third Signal banner, has announced its intentions to foster a developer-driven community and grant teams the autonomy to pursue their creative aspirations.

Third Signal's founder and CEO, Andreas Tobler, emphasized the importance of smaller teams in game development. "Some of the best games of the last decade came from teams of fifty, not five hundred," he stated. This sentiment reflects Third Signal's mission to create an indie studio group that can nurture talented developers and allow them to bring their unique ideas to life.

Founded by former Spellbound Entertainment staff, Black Forest Games primarily focused on revitalizing existing franchises. They worked on remakes of beloved series such as Desperados and Arcania: Gothic 4, as well as a game based on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' The Last Ronin before it was canceled and later revived as a Platinum joint project. However, the studio faced a challenging period in 2024, experiencing layoffs and shedding around 50 employees, a move that was perpetrated by Embracer Group.

Despite these setbacks, Black Forest Games remains grateful to THQ Nordic and Embracer for the nine fruitful years they spent together, delivering memorable games to the market. The studio now looks forward to embarking on a new chapter, equipped with a formidable team and strong partners. As Tobler concluded, "We're excited to shape our own future as owners again, to work on an exciting new project with a great team and strong partners behind us."