THQ Extends Warhammer 40K Licensing Agreement

THQ has signed a multi-year extension to its licensing agreement with Games Workshop to continue producing games based on the Warhammer 40,000 universe. The agreement extends the original that was signed in 2007, which extended the publisher's previous console, handheld and PC rights to include wireless devices and "all online rights," which includes social games and MMOs, the rights for which were previously held by Electronic Arts. That contract was set to expire in 2013: THQ's announcement today does not specify when this new extension is set to expire, and the company did not immediately respond to our inquiries. THQ has released a number of Warhammer 40,000 games since it acquired the console and PC rights in 2001, after an agreement with SSI, Inc. lapsed. The most notable of these is the Dawn of War series, which has sold 6.5 million units to date. Two Warhammer 40,000 titles are currently in development for THQ: Space Marine, a third-person shooter for current consoles and the PC, and Dark Millennium, an MMO.