Funcom also announces the intention to increase the scope of the upcoming Dune IP game

OSLO, Norway – Jan 22nd, 2019 – Tencent has today announced a voluntary cash offer to acquire all shares in Norwegian game developer Funcom. Tencent, a leading Internet company with a strong online games operation, is a shareholder in many leading gaming developers, such as Riot Games, Epic, Supercell, Ubisoft, Paradox and Frontier. The company already owns close to 29% of the shares in Funcom and news of the intended takeover is greeted with enthusiasm from Funcom CEO Rui Casais.

“We have had a great relationship with Tencent as our largest shareholder so far and we are excited about this opportunity,” says Funcom CEO Rui Casais. “We will continue to develop great games that people all over the world will play, and we believe that the support of Tencent will take Funcom to the next level. Tencent will provide Funcom with operational leverage and insights from its vast knowledge as the leading company in the game space.”

Funcom is a publicly traded company on the Oslo Stock Exchange and Tencent will seek to acquire shares directly from all the other shareholders. Tencent is offering all shareholders NOK 17.00 per share, which is 27.3% higher than the closing price of Funcom shares on January 21st, 2020. Shareholders are free to either accept or reject the offer during the offer period, which is expected to start early February. Funcom’s management board and supervisory board have unanimously decided to recommend shareholders to accept the offer.

Following the intended acquisition, there are no planned changes to Funcom management, staffing, or structure, with the company set to remain an independent business. Funcom will also continue to support its long-running online games Conan Exiles, Secret World Legends, Age of Conan, and Anarchy Online. Casais points out that Tencent has a reputation for being a responsible long-term investor, renowned for operational capabilities in online games. Having had Tencent as a majority shareholder since October 2019, has only reaffirmed that notion.

Steven Ma, Senior Vice President of Tencent, commented: “We are impressed by Funcom’s strengths as a developer of open-world multiplayer, action and survival games. Funcom has a strong track-record in developing new titles with long life span. We are glad to deepen our relationship with Funcom and look forward to collaborating with Funcom to deliver more exciting and enjoyable game experiences to fans worldwide.”

Funcom was founded in 1993, but the recent years have been the most successful and profitable in the company’s 27-year history, following the success of online survival game Conan Exiles. In addition to various projects, including the continued support of Conan Exiles, the Norwegian game developers are currently developing an open world multiplayer survival game based on Frank Herbert’s Dune.

In connection with Tencent’s voluntary offer, the Funcom management have decided to publicly announce several strategic and operational matters. Management intends to increase the ambition level of the upcoming Dune game pending board approval, with resources being allocated from other initiatives and possible additional financing. For more information, please visit https://investors.funcom.com/.

About Funcom
Funcom is an independent developer and publisher of computer and console games. Funcom was founded in 1993 and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange in 2005. Funcom became one of the pioneers of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (“MMORPG”) when Funcom released the PC game Anarchy Online. Over the course of its history, Funcom has developed and published around 30 game titles across several genres and gaming platforms. Currently, Funcom holds a broad portfolio of both released games and owned content, with high-degree control of its IPs. Funcom’s key active game portfolio includes Conan Exiles, Mutant Year Zero, Secret World Legends, Conan Unconquered as well other games such as Age of Conan, Anarchy Online, The Park, Hide & Shriek and The Longest Journey. For corporate information please visit www.funcom.com. For information about Funcom games visit www.conanexiles.com, www.secretworldlegends.com, www.anarchy-online.com, www.dreamfall.com, www.theparkgame.com, www.conanexiles.com, or www.ageofconan.com

New Lost Words: Beyond the Page Gameplay Trailer Details a Fantastical World Brought to Life Within a Young Heroine’s Journal

Witness a Moving Coming of Age Story Penned by Renowned Storyteller Rhianna Pratchett

Walnut Creek, Calif. (Jan 22, 2020) – Publisher Modus Games and developer Sketchbook Games have released a new gameplay trailer for Lost Words: Beyond the Page, revealed for the first time during last night’s New York Game Awards. Lost Words is an inventive and touching tale of a young girl’s personal growth and will be released this spring.

This new trailer, narrated by the game’s female protagonist, Izzy, provides a glimpse of the fantasy world of Estoria and the moving emotional journey of a young writer using creativity and her journal to deal with life’s adventures. Izzy’s recollections and imagination inspire breathtaking scenes of a vibrant, evocative world, unfolding new moments within an emotional story brimming with joyous, childlike zeal and mounting poignancy as that innocence adapts to life’s realities. View the trailer in full here:

Lost Words: Beyond the Page has garnered praise and more than a dozen accolades during its development, including recognition as ‘Best Indie Game’ at Game Connection Paris as well as earning the ‘Special Selection Indie Award’ at Reboot Develop. Featuring a stirring narrative from distinguished writer Rhianna Pratchett, Lost Words: Beyond the Page’s innovative linking of story to platforming and puzzles makes for an adventure as compelling as it is beautiful.

To read more about Lost Words: Beyond the Page, visit the official site (https://www.lostwordsgame.com) and wishlist the game on Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/599610/Lost_Words_Beyond_the_Page/). For the latest on Modus Games, head over to https://modusgames.com/, join the Discord channel (modus.games/discord), and follow @Modus_Games on Twitter.

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Lost Words: Beyond the Page is also supported by Creative England and Microsoft’s Greenshoots Programme, The Wellcome Trust, Games Co London and The UK Games Fund.

About Modus Games
Modus Games is one of the fastest-growing video game publishers in the world. The label prides itself on providing AAA publishing services to talented independent developers across the globe. Modus Studios Brazil is a full-service development studio supporting creators of inspired interactive entertainment. For more information, visit www.modusgames.com.

About Sketchbook Games
Sketchbook Games is a multi-award-winning studio founded by game designer Mark Backler, who previously worked at companies such as EA, Lionhead, and Sony, on a variety of games including Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and the BAFTA award winning Fable 2. The company is based at the Colchester Games Hub and is developing Lost Words: Beyond the Page in collaboration with Fourth State.

Livestream aims to raise thousands for BlazeAid

22 January 2020 — World of Tanks ANZ is hosting a charity livestream on Thursday 23 January, to raise much needed funds for Australians, impacted by the devastating bushfires across the country.

With thousands of individuals and families displaced and requiring aid for the upcoming months and years, World of Tanks has decided to partner with local charity BlazeAid. A volunteer-based organization, BlazeAid, works with families and individuals in rural Australia after natural disasters such as fires and floods. Support includes helping to rebuild fences and other structures that have been damaged or destroyed.

To fundraise for BlazeAid, a livestream will be held on Thursday 23 January, from 3pm – 11pm AEDT via the Wargaming Asia Twitch channel. During the livestream, a silent auction will be held where people can bid on one or more of the 50 prizes, available on the World of Tanks portal. The portal link is live from Thursday morning.

There are a range of exclusive prizes amongst the mix, including a:

• pro gaming mouse and signed mouse mat by Wargaming CEO and Founder Victor Kislyi
• private Twitch streaming and production masterclass with Twitch influencer and World of Tanks ANZ Content Creator ‘Vondle’
• private gaming production master with Ally McLean, CEO of The Working Lunch and Wargaming Sydney Product Manager
• a personalized digital print / wallpaper by the World of Tanks APAC design team, amongst others

The livestream will include a range of special guests including World of Tanks Regional Product Director, Alex de Giorgio; ‘Wasaabi’, a member of the Victorian Country Fire Authority and World of Tanks Senior Moderator; and Marty Williams, aka ‘CountryTripper’, Deputy Captain of Logistics, Mid-North Coast Brigade, NSW Rural Fire Service.

World of Tanks ANZ aims to raise $10,000 through the livestream and silent auction. For more information on the livestream, silent auction or to place a bid on one or more of the items, visit this link.

For more information on World of Tanks or to download World of Tanks for free, visit https://worldoftanks.asia/

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About World of Tanks

World of Tanks is the first team-based, massively multiplayer online action game dedicated to armored warfare. Throw yourself into the epic tank battles of World War II with gamers all over the world. Your arsenal includes over 600 armored vehicles from 11 nations, carefully detailed with historical accuracy.

Official website: https://worldoftanks.asia/

About Wargaming

Wargaming is an award-winning online game developer and publisher headquartered in Nicosia, Cyprus. Operating since 1998, Wargaming has grown to become one of the leaders in the gaming industry with 4500+ employees and offices spread all over the world. Over 200 million players enjoy Wargaming’s titles across all major gaming platforms. Their flagship products include the massively popular free-to-play hit World of Tanks and the strategic naval action game World of Warships.Official website: https://asia.wargaming.net/en/

Killer Queen Black Adds Eight-Player Local Play and More in Hydra Update

CHICAGO — January 21, 2020 — Killer Queen Black, the strategic eight-player action platformer from Liquid Bit and BumbleBear Games, makes it easier to join the battle with highly requested new features debuting today.

Killer Queen Black’s player base becomes stronger by the day. Liquid Bit has heard their feedback: eight-player local co-op on one machine, Switch or PC, is now available via the latest update, Hydra (Patch 1.60). No internet connection or Nintendo Switch Online account is required; crush friends and enemies while rubbing elbows on the couch.

In addition to the highly requested local play update, new features such as selectable regions on Nintendo Switch are available. Check out the complete feature set of the Hydra patch:

• Eight-player local support for PC and console
• Region selection on Switch
• Custom (online) and local matches can be started by a single player
• Bots can fill out local and custom matches
• Teams in local and custom matches can now be automatically shuffled
• Streamer mode: Choose which names to display in-game and in menus
• Map pools now skew towards more variety and fewer repeats
• Various bug fixes and UI improvements

For cyber cafe and Arcade owners looking to break into the Killer Queen Black scene, a new commercial build is available on Steam. For more information on this build, please visit the commercial version’s Steam Cafe page. This is far from the end of Liquid Bit’s plans for Killer Queen Black: check out the roadmap to see what the team is dreaming up.

“Our community has been behind us the whole way and we are happily providing the most requested additions,” said Matt Tesch, co-founder of Liquid Bit. “Players can now host the ultimate Killer Queen Black tournaments and bring the full experience of the arcade home.”

Killer Queen Black is available now in English and on sale for $9.99 on the Nintendo eShop, Steam, the Humble Store, Discord. A Switch physical edition created by Nighthawk Interactive includes Nintendo Switch controller skins, a cartridge, exclusive game art on the box for $29.99. Killer Queen Black will be available on Xbox One at a later date.

To learn more, please visit the game’s official site, follow the game on Twitter, and join the official Discord.

About Liquid Bit

The Chicago-based Liquid Bit is a group of builders, dreamers, designers, and developers. They make games that bring people together through innovative gameplay and design, and challenge you with games that are easy to learn but hard to master. Liquid Bit strives to go beyond just a game and deliver a connected experience and believes that good software should elicit an emotional response.

To learn more about Liquid Bit please visit the studio’s official website.

About BumbleBear Games

BumbleBear makes games for smart people to play together in public spaces. Its “platform”, the New Arcade, is a blend of digital and physical worlds through arcade cabinets, installations, and VR. The team is based in Brooklyn, NY.

To learn more about BumbleBear Games, please visit the studio’s official website.

A CHARMING THIEF AND A DETERMINED PRINCESS UNVEILED IN NEW TRIALS OF MANA SPOTLIGHT TRAILER

SYDNEY, 22^nd January 2020 – Square Enix Ltd., today revealed the final character introduction trailer for Trials of Mana™, the anticipated upcoming entry in the beloved Mana series, showcasing two more of its playable cast of six unique heroes. Hawkeye is a laidback and charming young man hailing from the desert fortress of Nevarl, home to a guild of noble thieves, whilst Riesz is a young princess from the mountainous kingdom of Laurent and captain of the renowned Amazon guard, with an iron will and kind heart.

The ‘Trials of Mana Character Spotlight Trailer: Hawkeye & Riesz’ trailer

To discover more about the cast of heroes, players can look forward to in Trials of Mana, visit: https://sqex.link/ToM_Characters

Trials of Mana tells the story of six heroes as they battle against the forces of evil that threaten a world where Mana has been weakened. Players will craft varying experiences by selecting a party of three from these unique characters as they embark on the adventure of a lifetime to protect the very essence of Mana itself. Originally released in Japan as Seiken Densetsu 3 in 1995, Trials of Mana is a full, high-definition remake of the third entry in the classic Mana series, seamlessly bringing the beloved story and characters to a new, modern era of fans with real-time combat, beautiful 3D graphics and updated gameplay.

Trials of Mana will be available forNintendo Switch™ system, PlayStation®4 system and STEAM® on24^th April 2020.

Related Links:

Official Trials of Mana website: www.trialsofmana.com
Twitter: @ManaGame
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ManaGame/
Instagram: @squareenix  
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/UKSquareEnix
#TrialsofMana

Unite the Gelfling Clans and Stop the Malevolent Skeksis in this Strategy RPG Coming to Consoles and PC on February 4

SEATTLE – January 21, 2020 – En Masse Entertainment, a player-focused publisher dedicated to delivering great games and service, today launched pre-purchase for The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics, the upcoming strategy RPG developed by BonusXP and based on the Netflix Original Series. The title will launch for theNintendo Switch™ system,PlayStation®4 entertainment system, Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X, and PC/Mac viaSteam,GOG.com, and theEn Masse Launcher on February 4, 2020, with an MSRP of $19.99, (£16.99, and €17.99). Fans can now secure their digital pre-purchase on Switch™, Xbox One, and PC/Mac, with the PS4™ system version available for purchase at release.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics reimagines the world of The Dark Crystal as a tactical strategy game. In turn-based combat, players lead the Gelfling resistance by using guile, planning, and cunning to outwit their foes. Units can be customized with gear, abilities, and an expansive job system to tackle more than 50 unique missions in the game. During battles, dynamic events and environmental effects that create tactical opportunities or put the Gelfling forces at risk, necessitating rapid changes in strategy to keep players on their toes. These variables, alongside a wide range of different characters and party compositions make for battles that are highly replayable. After completing the game, players can take on a New Game+ mode that offers even more challenge. Missions are wrapped in a narrative that will see players re-live key moments from the Netflix Original Series, while also experiencing never-before-seen events that reveal more about the world of Thra and its inhabitants. 

Published by En Masse Entertainment and developed by BonusXP, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics will release digitally for Nintendo Switch™, PS4™ system, Xbox One, and PC/Mac via Steam, GOG.com, and the En Masse Launcher on February 4, 2020 priced at $19.99, £16.99, and €17.99. The title has been rated “E for Everyone” by the ESRB.

About BonusXP

BonusXP, Inc. is an independent video game studio located in Allen, TX. Filled with longtime industry veterans, BonusXP’s roots extend back to classic titles like Age of Empires and Civilization. BonusXP assembles passionate teams and turns their creativity loose on new, innovative games such as Stranger Things 3: The Game, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics, and multiple unannounced, future titles.

About En Masse Entertainment

Based in Seattle, Washington, En Masse Entertainment embodies the evolution of modern game publishing. The company’s mission is to publish great games and provide great service. Beginning with its inaugural title, TERA, and continuing with Closers, En Masse Entertainment has built a track record of excellence and innovation. The team at En Masse includes experts in online technology, live service, branding, community, and player support, allowing them to thrive as a publisher in the digital era. For more information, visit enmasse.com.

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