Ubisoft bidding $2.5M for THQ Montreal, $3.265M for South Park in THQ auction

Ubisoft has put forth an offer of $2.5 million for THQ Montreal and $3.265 million for South Park: The Stick of Truth in the auction for THQ's subsidiaries, although the sale will not be final until a judge approves it.

THQ's CEO Brian Farrell and company president Jason Rubin outlined the sales in a letter to all employees, stating that sales are expected to close by the end of the week. Employees involved with the projects up for sale are expected to be offered jobs under the new companies, although employment is not guaranteed. Additionally, pay and benefits might differ from the previous offers under THQ.

Employees of titles not included in the sale were informed that their positions "will end."

South Park Digital Studios LLC, the company that owns the South Park license, recently objected to the sale of South Park: The Stick of Truth. The company requested that the sale would be denied unless South Park Digital Studios consented to the transfer of South Park licenses, as well as receive $2.275 million for defaulted payments and "adequate assurance of future performance" on the game.

Included in Ubisoft's assumptions for South Park is a contract for Jeff Delgado, a concept artist, as well as a developer agreement with Obsidian Entertainment and the license agreement.

Ubisoft's assumptions under the acquisition of THQ Montreal's franchises also includes a contract for video game designer Patrice Désilets, best known for his work on Assassin's Creed and Assassin's Creed 2. Désilets departed from Ubisoft in 2010 before later joining THQ Montreal in 2011.

Désilets had a project in development with THQ Montreal under the working title "1666," which was trademarked in 2012. Désilets' new contract with Ubisoft includes a "Project Clearwater Option and Agreement," though it is unclear what the project is.

When contacted for comment on their bid, Ubisoft responded with the following:

"We don't comment on rumors or speculation, but we're always evaluating opportunities that involve strong expertise, technology or brands. To date, we've focused on acquisitions where we can incorporate profitable brands and incredible expertise, and then share those traits across Ubisoft's large internal network and expand upon their success."

Polygon is reporting from the courtroom and will update as more information becomes available.

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