Outcast franchise bought by THQ Nordic
THQ Nordic announced that it has acquired the rights to the Outcast brand, originally created by Appeal. The IP joined the constantly growing portfolio of the Swedish giant.
THQ Nordic continues its shopping spree. The publisher informed that it has become the new owner of the Outcast brand, which he purchased from its creators – Yann Robert, Franck Sauer and Yves Grolet. However, the company did not share its plans for the further development of the franchise. Leaving us guessing, whether the original 1999 production, which has been refreshed almost eighteen years after the premiere, has a chance for a full-fledged continuation.
It is worth noting that the fate of the team at Appeal also seems uncertain. The studio that functioned between 1995-2002, was officially reactivated in 2015, and after developing a remaster of their debut work the team undertook to create the aforementioned remake. The remake, in turn, due to the presence of many archaic solutions, achieved neither artistic nor commercial success. Interestingly, in 2001 Appeal announced that they were working on Outcast II: The Lost Paradise, but a year later the team was dissolved and the project was cancelled.
The mention of THQ Nordic’s "shopping spree" wasn’t accidental. In recent months, the company has acquired rights to a number of famous brands, including such titles as Carmageddon, Expeditions, and Kingdoms of Amalur. What’s more, in last February the publisher also became the owner of Koch Media, the current owner of Deep Silver.
Let's just remind that Outcast is an action adventure game set in a setting similar to the sciencie fiction franchise Stargate. The main character of the game is Cutter Slade, who lands on the planet Adelpha. His task is not only to crack down on the black hole that threatens the Earth, but also to overthrow the tyrant Faé Rhân, who rules the Talan race. In the course of the game, we travel through a vast world divided into sectors, perform tasks for the inhabitants of Adelpha, solve environmental riddles and fight enemies.
