Funcom signs publishing deal with start-up firm

Online developer/publisher Funcom has signed a publishing agreement with Sweedish start-up firm Stunlock Studios AB.

Funcom will publish, operate and provide customer support for the upcoming Stunlock title Bloodline Champions, currently in Beta testing. Funcom has also purchased a minority stake in Stunlock.

“‘Bloodline Champions’ is a game that we are very excited about. We have been play testing the game extensively at Funcom and we enjoy its fast-paced, player vs. player action-focused gameplay,” says Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas.

“We believe this gameplay will appeal to a significant gamer segment. The game represents a complement to our large-scale MMO games and it will expand the product offering to our ever-growing online community.”

Stunlock CEO Tau Petersson said that everyone at her firm was excited about the deal.

"We met with several potential partners for our game, Bloodline Champions, but when we met Funcom we felt that they really understood our game and its needs,” she said.

“We believe that Funcom and Stunlock together can make Bloodline Champions the best game it can be."

Bloodline Champions is expected to launch in late 2010.