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In a surprise move, publisher THQ Nordic has acquired fellow publisher Koch Media, along with its Deep Silver subsidiary – giving the combined company a headcount of well over 1,000 people.
The deal could in future reunite big-name IPs such as Saints Row and Metro with the THQ brand name. The rights to those games were acquired by Deep Silver back in 2013, while the THQ name moved to what was previously called Nordic Games fairly recently in 2016.
That won’t happen immediately, though, as the two companies will remain functionally separate for the forseeable future. There will be no changes in terms of headcount and operations, with Klemens Kundratitz, remaining as CEO of Koch Media.
“Due to the great strategic fit of the two businesses, I believe that this is a superb strategic opportunity for Koch Media – Deep Silver and THQ Nordic. Our plan is to continue to develop and grow all parts of our business. Now, that Koch Media is part of a stock listed company we aim to accelerate growth," Klemens commented.
The group will be listed on the Swedish stock market together under the current THQ Nordic AB name. The new group will get a new name later in the year, but there are no name changes planned in terms of consumer-facing brands. Which seems a missed opportunity, as moving all the games under the storied THQ name seems an easy boost to visibility.
There are similarities between both companies, with owned IP publishing mixed with third-party publishing and distribution – both in physical and digital forms. Koch Media has been a key partner for Square Enix, Codemasters, Capcom, Bethesda, Focus and many more, either distributing and co-publishing across major European regions.
THQ Nordic AB`s founder, CEO and majority shareholder Lars Wingefors said of the deal: “Koch Media is ideally suited to foster our ambitions for growth, profitability based on its employees and longstanding business partners. Deep Silver has four AAA games in development that will generate further growth for the coming years. With Koch Media business partners we plan to remain the leading European publishing partner for the years to come.”
