Gothic (video game)

Gothic is a 2001 action role-playing game developed by Piranha Bytes for Windows and the first game of the game series of the same name. A Nintendo Switch port, titled Gothic Classic, was released in 2023. Ports for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S were announced for 2026.

Gothic was rather well received by critics. Reviewers credited the game for its story, world design, atmosphere, interaction with other in-game characters, and graphics, but criticized it for having many bugs, an unusual control scheme and high system requirements. The English localization was described as less well written than the language versions in which the game became popular. Gothic was one of the first european RPGs with fully voiced dialogues. At the time of its release and with the release of patches in the early 2000's, Gothic 1 and its successors reached wide popularity in Germany, Austria, Poland and Russia, which led to the build up of big and long lasting fan- and modding-communities in said countries.

In 2020, THQ Nordic, who owns the series after the acquisition and subsequent dissolution of Piranha Bytes, greenlit a Gothic remake for production. The developers declared to stay faithful to the 2001 classic with the remake, updating its visuals and gameplay and correcting its flaws. It is announced for June 2026.