THQ Nordic Acquires Bugbear and Coffee Stain, Adding to Its Ever Expanding List of Studios

THQ Nordic has been scooping up IPs left and right. Now, it has added to that list by acquiring Bugbear Entertainment studio and all its respective intellectual property rights, including the upcoming console release of Wreckfest. In addition, Coffee Stain Studios has fallen under the company’s umbrella too, which includes the intellectual property rights to Satisfactory, Goat Simulator, Sanctum, and publishing rights to Deep Rock Galactic.

This isn’t the first time THQ Nordic has been involved with Bugbear Entertainment. “Since June 2017, THQ Nordic stepped in as the publisher for the digital distribution channels for Wreckfest,” leading up to the game’s PC release in June 2018. Known for its “niche racing games,” the leaders of THQ Nordic are confident that Bugbear will continue to grow and find success within their market. The next test will be how well Wreckfest‘s demolition derby racing fairs in the console market this upcoming week.

THQ Nordic Chief Executive Officer Lars Wingefors had this to say regarding the Coffee Stain Studios acquisition:

We are creating a complementary digital native pillar to THQ Nordic. Coffee Stain is a passionate and highly competent team creating and publishing great games. After some years without major releases the pipeline of new game releases such as Satisfactory and Deep Rock Galactic look strong. I look forward to work together with Anton Westbergh and his team in the future.

In many ways, this sentiment speaks to the rationale behind all its recent business moves. Just two months ago THQ Nordic picked up Alone in the Dark, Act of War, Kingdoms of Amalur, Timesplitters, and Second Sight. Before that, the company announced its acquisition of Koch Media and Deep Silver by extension.

What do you think of Bugbear Entertainment and Coffee Stain Studios joining the slew of studios and IPs underneath the THQ Nordic umbrella? And will you be buying Wreckfest when it releases on November 20, 2018 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One? Let us know in the comments below.

[Source: THQ Nordic and Gematsu]