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’

German developer Black Forest Games has bought itself out of Embracer Group, ending its nine-year period under the company’s THQ Nordic subsidiary. It is launching a new independent studio group, Third Signal, with plans to give development teams greater independence and creative freedom.

Black Forest Games is known for Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams and remakes of the first two Destroy All Humans games. The studio lost about 50 staff in Embracer’s 2024 layoffs, and its planned Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin game was cancelled before being revived as a project with PlatinumGames. Managing director Adrian Goersch said the studio now intends to shape its future as an owner and begin work on a new project with partners.