Koch Media offers $22.3M for Volition and $5.8M for 4A Games' Metro franchise in THQ auction

German media group Koch Media has offered $22.3 million for Saints Row developer Volition, Inc. and $5.8 million for 4A Games' Metro franchise, according to a letter sent to employees of THQ subsidiaries and details shared with Polygon this afternoon.

THQ first acquired Volition in September 2000 in a stock transition in which THQ assumed approximately $500,000 in net liabilities for the developer's operations.

A document detailing Volition's assumptions included in the sale lists Volition's QA headquarters in Champaign, Ill. and various contract services for Saints Row 4.

Assumptions listed for Metro include developer 4A Games, a development and marketing agreement with Nvidia, a promotional agreement with Dell and a licensing agreement with pathfinding software developer PathEngine.

The Metro franchise currently comprises of 2010's Metro 2033 and upcoming sequel Metro: Last Light. Last Light is currently slated to release in March, later than THQ's original plans to release the game in 2012. Last week retailer GameStop pulled the title's PC version from its pre-purchase section due to fears regarding THQ's current instability.

Koch Media is the parent company of Deep Silver, developer on the Dead Island and Risen games, and has co-published titles with a number of other companies including Catherine with Atlus and Warhammer: Mark of Chaos with Namco.

In a letter sent to employees of THQ subsidiaries this afternoon, CEO Brian Farrell and president Jason Rubin wrote that they expect most affected employees to be offered employment by their new owners, though they noted they could make no promises.

"However, we cannot say what these owners may intend, and there will likely be some positions that will not be needed under the new ownership," reads the letter. "You should receive notice this week or early next week if the new owners intend to extend employment to you."

Polygon is in attendance in the courtroom of Judge Mary F. Walrath for the hearing, and will provide more details as we receive them.