THQ Nordic has announced a new round of acquisitions, as it has purchased Darksiders 3 developer Gunfire Games and Italian racing games master Milestone. It’s the first time a major publisher acquires an Italian developer, also a hint at the fact that the developer scene over there is increasing its scale.
Gunfire Games was founded in 2014 by a group of former Vigil Games members, the studio that has crafted the original Darksiders with Marvel’s Joe Madureira. The acquisition also involves the intellectual properties owned by the studio, including the incoming Remnant: From the Ashes.
“With the acquisition of Gunfire Games we are strengthening THQ Nordic’s footprint in the US and are adding an experienced and talented development team that we know very well from having collaborated on Darksiders,” THQ Nordic group CEO Lars Wingefors said in a press release.
“Gunfire will contribute with premier development expertise to the group with realizable synergies from day one. It is with great anticipation of future projects we now welcome the team to the THQ Nordic family.”
As for Milestone, the company was acquired for 44.9 million Euros in cash through THQ Nordic’s Koch Media. The studio has released MotoGP, MXGP, RIDE, and Monster Energy Supercross games in recent times.
It was initially founded in 1994 as Graffiti, before being renamed Milestone in 1996. In 2013, it transitioned from being a work-for-hire studio into publishing all of its products and developing its IP. It currently employs 200 staff members.
“Milestone has developed racing games for 25 years now and is leading the two-wheel racing game genre today,” said Lars Wingefors.
“With 50 developed games since inception, eight million copies sold since 2013 and five games under development, I am convinced that Milestone will see continued success in the future. I am thrilled to welcome Luisa [Bixio, the studio’s CEO] and her experienced team to the THQ Nordic group.”
These are just the latest names entering THQ Nordic’s portfolio over the last couple of years, as it acquired Koch Media/Deep Silver (together with Metro, Saints Row, and more IP) in 2018, Warhorse Studios and Piranha Bytes a few months ago, on top of other minor purchases such as the Kingdoms of Amalur intellectual property.
