Norwegian studio Funcom has acquired the rights to properties including Conan the Barbarian, Mutant Year Zero, and Solomon Kane by purchasing Cabinet Group.
The Conan Exiles developer will merge the entire Cabinet portfolio into its IP studio Heroic Signatures, and is already working on an unannounced project based on one of those franchises.
Heroic Signatures was originally a joint venture between Funcom and Cabinet Group, and was formed to manage and develop “global entertainment franchises in all forms of media.”
Moving forward, Cabinet Group co-founder and CEO Fredrik Malmberg will serve as president of Heroic Signatures, and is keen to start bringing those properties to the game space in more innovative ways.
“The entertainment industry is rapidly becoming more ‘techified.’ We’ve seen brilliant examples of how games have incorporated IPs in innovative ways to reach audience numbers that vastly surpass previous levels,” said Malmberg.
“What Fortnite has done with The Avengers, for instance, or the impact a live in-game concert can have on awareness. We are looking forward to sit down with other entertainment companies who share our vision and wish to take part in the exciting journey we have ahead.”
The news comes a few months after Funcom purchased a majority stake in Swedish studio The Outsiders for an undisclosed fee.