THQ Nordic has acquired the intellectual property rights to Kingdoms of Amalur.
The Scandinavian publisher said: “THQ Nordic today announced that the acquisition of the intellectual property “Kingdoms of Amalur” has been finalized with 38 Studios LLC, based in Providence, RI, US. The deal also covered the acquisition of the “Amalur” – based on the abandoned MMORPG project “Copernicus”.”
Fantasy RPG Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning was released in 2012 – published by Electronic Arts – on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. However, shortly after its release, developer 38 Studios went bust, and its assets were liquidated, to be picked up by THQ Nordic five years later. Copernicus, as mentioned in THQ Nordic’s statement, was an MMORPG on which 38 Studios was working when it closed down, earmarked for a free-to-play model and a 2013 release.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning was created by something of a dream-team at 38 Studios, which included author RA Salvatore, Spawn creator Todd McFarlane and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion lead designer Ken Rolston. It received plenty of critical acclaim, but that wasn’t matched by sales figures, and 38 Studios was wound up by Rhode Island’s economic development agency, which had loaned it $75 million.
THQ Nordic, which used to be known as Nordic Games, has been on a major acquisition spree of late. This February, it merged with Koch Media and last month, it acquired the TimeSplitters and Second Sight IPs. Your best place to find news about the fruits of THQ Nordic’s spending spree is the company’s website.
