teamPixel outbid on Homeworld IP by mysterious buyer, refunding Kickstarter donations

After being outbid by an unidentified party, mobile and desktop app developer teamPixel is refunding money to those who backed its Kickstarter campaign to purchase the Homeworld IP from THQ.

The studio had hoped to develop Homeworld 3 for Windows PC, Mac and Linux, and Homeworld Touch for iOS and Android, if the intellectual property was secured.

"Homeworld will escape the THQ bankruptcy to a new home, however, that home will not be with teamPixel, LLC," the Kickstarter update reads. "The auction for the Homeworld license ended April 15, 2013, and while we reached qualified bidder status for the bankruptcy auction, we were unable to raise the necessary funds to remain competitive against the other parties at the auction."

teamPixel did not divulge who the new owner was, but it suspects the information will be revealed in mid-May once the sale is finalized.

The development team will go ahead and develop their own Homeworld-inspired space RTS with original IP. Backers of the Save the Homeworld campaign will be given special credit in the new game as a thanks. Contributors to the Kickstarter can track their refund via a website set up by teamPixel.

In January, Relic Entertainment was bought by Sega for $26.6 million during the auction to liquidate THQ's assets; however, the IP for Relic's franchise Homeworld was not included in the list of acquisitions.

teamPixel set up an IndieGoGo fundraising campaign that same day to raise money to secure the IP, and to fund the development of Homeworld 3 and Homeworld Touch if successful. The campaign raised $13,675 of the $50,000 goal.