THQ Nordic has purchased Gothic and Risen developer Piranha Bytes for an undisclosed fee.

Notably, the deal includes the development studio and all intellectual property rights, which means Gothic, Risen, and new franchise ELEX will now fall under the THQ umbrella. 

THQ is also keen for Piranha to develop a brand new franchise based on its propriety game engine, and claims the purchase will also help grow its "strong footprint" in Germany. 

The deal won't come as a surprise to those who've been paying attention to THQ's recent movements. 

The Swedish publisher recently raised $225 million to finance the acquisition of more franchises and game studios, and before that purchased a raft of notable devs including Goat Simulator creator Coffee Stain Studios, Kingdom Come: Deliverance developer Warhorse, and Wreckfest maker Bugbear Entertainment.

With regards to Piranha Bytes, the company has a long history of working together with THQ Nordic and subsidiary Koch Media, with the pair having published the German studio's last five major releases.

Although the acquisition will see Piranha brought into the THQ fold under the newly formed entity Piranha Bytes GmbH, the studio and its dev team will remain an independent beast. 

As in the past, Piranha will focus on the development of unique RPG experiences, and will have full creative freedom over its projects.

THQ will continue to act as Piranha's publisher, and will be responsible for distribution, marketing, and additional support. Piranha chief exec Michael Ruve and head of games Bjorn Pankratz will also retain their roles.