Piranha Bytes and JoWood fell out over Gothic 3's premature release

Gothic and Risen developer Piranha Bytes reportedly gave long-time publisher JoWood the flick in response to refusal to extend a deadline.

Studio co-founder Michael Hoge told Eurogamer the publisher put Gothic 3 out before it was ready.

"The whole thing collapsed when the publisher forced us to release Gothic 3 while it was not ready," he said.

"To be fair, if we had finished it in the time that we promised, it would have been fine."

Piranha Bytes was apparently disappointed by the publisher's alleged refusal to compromise.

"Instead of trying to find a solution with us - how to get this right - they just wanted to release it. It was because of their stock market orientation, I think. So we decided to go separate ways then."

Following the divorce, JoWood kept the kids, in the form of an ongoing right to develop another game in the Gothic series, but the new step-parent - to stretch an already extended metaphor - didn't get on with them. The Spellbound-developed ArcaniA panned.

"Currently, JoWooD has no more rights on developing any further Gothic titles, so the rights are back ... Very soon the contract runs out and we will get the rights back. And we knew that from the start," Hoge said.

"We thought, OK, scenario one: they do a good game and it furthers the brand. Scenario 2: they fail and everyone knows why."

JoWood is struggling to remain solvent and is rumoured to have shelved multiple projects.

Thanks, Evil Avatar.