Black Forest Games has stepped out from under the THQ Nordic umbrella. The German developer behind the modern Destroy All Humans! remakes has completed a management buyout and become a founding member of a new independent group, Third Signal.
The announcement, dated 11 November 2026, brings an end to Black Forest’s ownership by THQ Nordic after nine years. The studio’s management team will become co-owners of the group alongside Third Signal Ventures, while Black Forest Games will continue operating under its own name.
Independence without burning bridges
This is not an announcement of a messy public split. Black Forest Games and THQ Nordic say they will continue collaborating on development tasks. That distinction matters: a change in ownership does not automatically tell us where every existing project, partnership or licence will end up.
Third Signal describes its ambition as building a developer-led group focused on premium PC and console games, giving experienced teams more room to shape their own projects. It has not yet announced a full roster of future member studios or provided details of its next game.
What it could mean for the games
Black Forest’s recent credits include Destroy All Humans!, Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed, Fade to Silence and Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams. That is a fairly unusual collection of aliens, survival and platforming, and it leaves us curious about what the developers will choose to tackle with greater control over their own direction.
There is also a wider industry question here. As large groups restructure, experienced teams are trying different models for making games. Hidden Horses, another newly independent developer featured in our coverage, has opted for employee ownership. Black Forest’s management buyout is a different route, but the desire for creative independence has something in common.
We will be watching for Third Signal’s first real project announcement. For now, the news is the studio’s independence and new group, not a confirmed game reveal.
Sources: Third Signal’s original announcement on Games Press; industry reporting. Featured image is Black Forest Games’ official company mark reproduced for identification.