Key Highlights:
- The Gothic remake launches on June 5, 2026 across multiple platforms.
- The remake aims to improve upon the original while keeping its core essence intact.
- There’s a lot of things that made Gothic (2001) so special.
The original Gothic was released back in 2001 by Piranha Bytes, and is widely considered to be one of the key cornerstones of the western RPG subgenre. The series has since seen a cult following, despite all the jank the original game brought along with it.
A remake of the original Gothic is currently in development, slated for a 2026 release which promises updated visuals and controls. More on the same below.
When Does The Gothic 1 Remake Release?
The Gothic 1 Remake recently announced that the game would be targeting a June 5, 2026 release across multiple platforms. The game is being developed within the dreaded Unreal Engine 5 game engine, which does bring with it performance concerns.
The game is being developed by Alkimia Interactive, and will be published by THQ Nordic. A short demo titled the Nyras Prologue is currently available for download across all supported platforms offering players an early glimpse at what’s in store.
As far as supported platforms go, we have the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Windows PCs. There has been no mention of a Nintendo Switch 2 port as of the time of writing this article, and this shouldn’t change anytime soon.
Everything You Need To Know About The Gothic 1 Remake
The Gothic 1 Remake aims to keep the charm and ‘roughness’ of the original, 2001 release while simultaneously improving on the combat and movement system, which feel a bit outdated now (in addition to the visuals).
The most interesting change here is the addition of all new content to the game, making it roughly 25% larger than the original 2001 release. This includes deeper lore bits, and more branching paths to indulge in.
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There’s a lot more subtle changes in play here as well, such as a fresher, dynamic world with lifelike NPCs and new exploration abilities, such as being able to finally swim and climb.
Feedback from the demo has been taken to heart, and the team at THQ Nordic has made the combat feel a lot more ‘tighter’, adding in the ability to both dodge and counter attacks in a more seamless fashion. This improved combat system should make the title a lot more enjoyable for newcomers to play through.
The localization has also been improved a lot to reflect the tone of the original script, which is something many might appreciate.
What Made Gothic (2001) So Special?
Gothic (2001) was a landmark title that paved the way forward for great western RPGs, and was well regarded for its approach to gameplay. In short, Gothic had a special case of German Grit to it, which a focus on immersion over hand holding players along the way, a trend that has unfortunately seen decline.
Gothic is extremely minimalistic, having absolutely no quest markers or mini maps, instead having players listen to NPC chatter and decode the environment in order to find a way forward.
The game world was also quite dynamic, with the player character slowly gaining skills and having their animations improve along the way. It’s also a very hostile game world, and one where you must always be on your guard. NPCs will be unhelpful, and life is not easy.
It is precisely this oppressive, immersive and difficult atmosphere that makes Gothic stand out as an amazing RPG.
