The developer behind the Destroy All Humans Remake titles, Black Forest Games, has bought itself out from THQ Nordic. The studio was acquired by THQ Nordic in 2017, when its biggest claim to fame was Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams, a sequel to the 2009 DS Remake of the 1987 Commodore 64 title, which is perhaps best known for its obvious similarities to Super Mario Bros., which had been released two years prior.
Under THQ Nordic, the studio was tapped to remake Destroy All Humans and Destroy All Humans, both of which went on to receive fairly positive reviews. In 2023, Black Forest Games was leaned on for the video game adaptation of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin, based on the more adult-oriented graphic novel of the same name. It is unclear WHAT exactly happened, but this year we learned that this adaptation was completely canceled, with PlatinumGames, known for their action hack-and-slash titles, taking the helm on a completely new version of the project.
Now Black Forest Games has announced that following a management buyout, they are completely independent of THQ Nordic. In addition, the studio has founded Third Signal, a new independent group of game studios, of which it is the founding member. Black Forest’s management team will also become co-owners. Third Signal will be focused on the development of “premium games for PC and console,” but has yet to confirm which studios are set to join this new group.
In a Statement, Third Signal Founder and CEO Adrian Goersch said:
Some of the best games of the last decade came from teams of fifty, not five hundred. Black Forest Games is one of them, and the right studio to launch Third Signal.
Our vision is to build a developer driven group and give teams the independence, resources and creative freedom to continue their creative legacy and bring their own ideas to life.
We are grateful to THQ Nordic and Embracer for nine good years and the games we made together. Now, 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
THQ Nordic has been in the middle of scaling back its footprint, in part due to the financial troubles of parent company Embracer Group. Back in 2024, Black Forest Games was affected by this, with heavy layoffs affecting the studio. Despite this, THQ Nordic has announced they have 29 games in active development, with a number of these projects yet to be announced.
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