Sega Europe has today announced that it has secured the publishing rights for Worms 3D in North America and all PAL video system territories, including Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Team 17's upcoming strategy sequel marks the first European signing for Sega Europe since it announced its return to publishing last month.

"Brilliant gameplay and a strong brand--Worms 3D has Sega hit written all over it," said Matthew Woodley, European marketing director, Sega Europe. "The creators at Team 17 have inspired us all with their passion and vision, and we're delighted to be partnering with them in bringing Worms 3D to as wide a market as possible."

Worms 3D is the first game in Team 17's long-running strategy series to be in 3D. The classic Worms gameplay will remain largely unchanged, but we understand that a number of brand-new weapons will complement previous favorites such as the bazooka, grenades, air strikes, and sheep. As has always been the case in the Worms series, Worms 3D will feature randomly generated landscapes, and, because of its turn-based nature, it will support multiple players on a single PC or console.

"Sega has an incredible reputation and a real passion for developing truly great video games," said Debbie Bestwick, commercial director, Team 17 Software. "We're honored and absolutely delighted to have this opportunity to work with them to bring Worms 3D to market. Their approach has been a breath of fresh air--just what the European games development industry needs."

All four versions of Worms 3D are currently scheduled for release toward the end of this year. We'll bring you more information on the game as it becomes available.