Highlights

  • Pieces Interactive has been shut down by Embracer Group after Alone in the Dark failed to meet sales expectations.
  • The studio released over 10 games since its founding in 2007.
  • Embracer Group owns over 100 studios, with many facing layoffs in recent years.

Alone in the Dark developer Pieces Interactive has been shut down by its parent company, Embracer Group, following a string of closures by the Swedish conglomerate. In recent years, Embracer Group has developed a reputation for acquiring and subsequently shuttering multiple subdivisions. Alone in the Dark served as a reimagining of Infogrames's 1992 series of the same name and was released in March 2024 to mixed reviews, despite a compelling lead duo in Jodie Comer and David Harbour. The original was credited as being one of the earliest iterations of a survival horror game, but the 2024 remake failed to inspire.

Embracer Group, formerly Nordic Games, operates out of Karlstad, Sweden. As of 2024, the company owns over 100 studios, including Coffee Stain Studios (Goat Simulator), Cryptic Studios (Star Trek Online), Crystal Dynamics (Tomb Raider), and even Dark Horse Comics, the publisher behind Star Wars, 300, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Since 2022, many studios under Embracer Group have been subjected to layoffs. By late 2023 alone, Embracer Group had laid off more than 900 employees in an attempt to reduce a staggering $2 billion debt.

Alone in the Dark series ranked, header image
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Every Alone In The Dark Game, Ranked

The Alone in the Dark franchise paved the way for survival horror and includes some memorable entries as well as some forgettable ones.

Courtesy of IGN, Pieces Interactive posted a statement to its website with the following text: "2007 - 2024, Thanks for playing with us." Pieces Interactive addressed the closure by reflecting on the studio's 17 years of service to the gaming community with titles such as Puzzlegeddon, Fret Nice, Leviathan Warships, Robo Surf, and Kill to Collect. The statement shares how Pieces Interactive was acquired by Embracer Group in 2017 following the success of the RPG Titan Quest as well as its two expansion packs, Titan Quest: Ragnarok and Titan Quest: Atlantis. Embracer Group also divided itself into three separate entities recently to better categorize its subsidiaries. Gustav Pethrus, a former employee of Pieces Interactive, verified the closure on LinkedIn, and other former employees have also confirmed the layoffs to have been happening since mid-April.

Embracer Group Canceled Approximately 80 Projects

It would appear that Alone in the Dark failed to meet Embracer Group's sales expectations, which resulted in the shuttering of Pieces Interactive. According to GamesIndustry.biz, there are 141 development projects in the works across all of Embracer Group's businesses, down from a previous 221. From those statistics, it looks like Embracer has canceled around 80 projects over the last few years, and yet Alone in the Dark still managed to come to fruition. Despite mixed reviews, Alone in the Dark has been favorably compared to the Resident Evil franchise in that it uses a third-person, over-the-shoulder perspective with combat consisting of a firearm and melee weapon.

Since the Alone in the Dark series has continued to contribute to years of gaming industry growth, there were initially talks of a remake after the release of the series' fifth installment, Alone in the Dark: Inferno. However, the game was ultimately canceled after the liquidation of developer Eden Games. Alone in the Dark director Mikael Hedberg had previously worked on Amnesia: The Dark Descent, whereas the artist behind the game's monsters, Guy Davis, worked closely with Guillermo del Toro on the concept art for Pinocchio. But despite a talented crew, Alone in the Dark couldn't meet the needs of Embracer Group, the conglomerate that once aimed to foster the studio's long-term potential.