Warthog acquires Zed Two

UK-based developer Warthog has today announced that it has acquired the game design studio Zed Two, which has offices in the UK and Sweden. The deal brings Warthog's total workforce up to some 230 people, many of whom are currently working on the company's own creations, Mace Griffin Bounty Hunter and a first-person shooter called X10, in addition to a number of licensed games based on Robot Wars, Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, and X-Men.

"We are delighted to bring Zed Two within Warthog," said Ashley Hall, Warthog's managing director. "They are a highly experienced and reputable developer with a track record of creating original intellectual property. By allowing them to remain creatively independent but servicing them with global sales and administrative support we look forward to a successful future together."

Zed Two, which was founded in 1996 by Ste and John Pickford, is perhaps best known as the developer of the puzzle game Wetrix and its sequel, Aqua Aqua . The company has also worked on a number of high-profile licenses including ET and the Tasmanian Devil, and it is currently working on PC and console versions of the strategy game Aqua Aqua , as well as a previously unannounced puzzle game called Sticky Balls.

"Zed Two has been tremendously successful over the last six years as a small independent developer, but we felt that we needed a wider commercial reach and greater financial support to achieve our full potential in today's market," said Ste Pickford, Zed Two's managing director. "We looked around to see who could provide this for us and Warthog was the perfect fit. They are a modern, forward thinking, well managed development house, and their talent and resources complement ours perfectly."