Funcom
Norwegian video game developer and publisher known for online, survival, role-playing, and adventure games.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Funcom is a Norwegian video game developer and publisher founded in 1993 by Erik Gloersen, Tyr Neilsen, Andre Backen, Gaute Godager, and Olav Mørkrid. The company began as an independent developer and publisher, initially working across personal-computer and console games before establishing a durable reputation in online role-playing and massively multiplayer online games. Its portfolio has included the science-fiction MMORPG Anarchy Online, the adventure-game series The Longest Journey and Dreamfall, the licensed MMORPG Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, The Secret World, the LEGO Minifigures Online MMO, and the survival sandbox Conan Exiles. Funcom’s early history included a Dublin subsidiary created in 1994 to concentrate on console development. That studio produced Speed Freaks but was closed in 2001 as the wider business concentrated resources on Anarchy Online and other online projects. Funcom later expanded its international development and support footprint, opening or operating offices in locations including Oslo, North Carolina, Montreal, Lisbon, Bucharest, and Stockholm. The company also previously maintained operations in Beijing and Dublin. Its releases have covered PC, consoles, mobile devices, and tablets, although PC and online platforms have remained central to its identity. Anarchy Online was a major early milestone. Released in 2001, it became one of the company’s best-known online games and was supported by multiple expansions. The Longest Journey, first released in the late 1990s, established Funcom’s standing in narrative adventure games, while Dreamfall extended that property to Xbox and PC. Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures launched in 2008 as a premium online action role-playing game based on the Conan the Cimmerian property. Its difficult launch contributed to substantial financial and organizational pressure, followed by leadership changes, layoffs, and a shift in the game’s commercial model to a hybrid free-to-play and subscription structure under the name Age of Conan: Unchained. The Secret World, released in 2012, continued Funcom’s focus on persistent online worlds but also performed below the company’s expectations. Funcom responded with restructuring, staff reductions, and a 2017 free-to-play rebuild called Secret World Legends. The company subsequently placed greater emphasis on smaller-scope releases and survival games. Conan Exiles, released in early access in 2017 and fully launched in 2018, became a central product in this strategy, combining open-world survival systems with the Conan setting. Funcom also broadened its publishing and licensing activities. It released The Park and Hide and Shriek in The Secret World universe, published Conan Chop Chop from Mighty Kingdom, and published Dune: Spice Wars from Shiro Games. Partnerships with Conan Properties International and Legendary Entertainment expanded its access to established entertainment properties, including the Dune universe. In 2019, Funcom acquired a majority stake in Portuguese studio Zona Paradoxal. Tencent became Funcom’s largest shareholder in 2019 and completed a full acquisition in 2020, taking Funcom private. Following the Tencent acquisition, Funcom continued to operate as a game-development and publishing organization with international studios. It acquired Swedish developer The Outsiders in 2021, opened a Bucharest operation, and acquired Cabinet Group’s intellectual-property assets connected with Conan, Mutant, Solomon Kane, and related Robert E. Howard works. Funcom has also worked with external partners on a planned Dune survival game. The company’s present identity is centered on online and multiplayer entertainment, survival experiences, role-playing games, licensed worlds, and long-term operation of live games.
History
Funcom was established in Norway in 1993 by Erik Gloersen, Tyr Neilsen, Andre Backen, Gaute Godager, and Olav Mørkrid. It began as an independent developer and publisher, making games for personal computers and consoles. A Dublin subsidiary was established in 1994 to work on console projects, including Speed Freaks, but it was closed in 2001 when the parent organization concentrated on its online-game ambitions. The Longest Journey became one of Funcom’s most acclaimed early properties. The narrative adventure game was followed by Dreamfall, which expanded the series to Xbox and PC. At the same time, Funcom developed Anarchy Online, a science-fiction MMORPG that became a long-running live service supported by expansions including The Notum Wars, Shadowlands, Alien Invasion, Lost Eden, and Legacy of the Xan. The game helped define Funcom’s expertise in persistent online worlds. Funcom expanded its North American presence during the development and operation of Anarchy Online and later opened a Montreal studio in 2009. The company was listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange in 2005 through Funcom N.V. In 2007, it announced a move away from physical distribution toward digital delivery, reflecting both changing consumer behavior and concerns about piracy-related losses. Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures launched in 2008. Although it attracted substantial attention as a major licensed MMORPG, its commercial performance fell short of Funcom’s expectations. The company experienced losses, staff reductions, and leadership changes, including the departure of game director and co-founder Gaute Godager. The title later adopted a hybrid business model and was marketed as Age of Conan: Unchained. Funcom also developed the expansion Rise of the Godslayer. The Secret World was announced in 2007 and released in 2012. Its weaker-than-expected performance resulted in further cost reductions and a broad restructuring. Funcom cited factors including the game’s critical reception and competition from major releases. In 2014, Norwegian economic-crime authorities opened an investigation into suspected securities-law violations related to the 2012 launch; the case was closed in 2015 after the company paid a fine. During the middle of the 2010s, Funcom diversified its portfolio. It released LEGO Minifigures Online, The Park, and Hide and Shriek, while entering a closer relationship with Conan Properties International. Conan Exiles was announced in 2016, entered PC early access in 2017, reached Xbox through Game Preview, and received its full launch in 2018. The company also relaunched The Secret World as the free-to-play Secret World Legends in 2017. Funcom’s corporate structure changed substantially after Tencent acquired a 29 percent stake in 2019 and announced an offer for the remaining shares. The transaction was completed in 2020, making Funcom a Tencent-owned private company. In 2021, Funcom acquired The Outsiders, announced a Romanian studio, and purchased Cabinet Group, expanding its control over intellectual property associated with Conan and other Robert E. Howard-related works. It subsequently continued to combine internal development, publishing, licensing, and cooperation with external studios, including work related to Dune. The Outsiders was reported as having been shut down by Funcom in 2025.
- 2020
Tencent completes Funcom acquisition
[1]Tencent purchases the remaining shares and takes Funcom private.
- 2017
Conan Exiles enters early access
[1]The survival sandbox launches on PC early access and later reaches Xbox through Game Preview.
- 2012
The Secret World launches
[1]Funcom releases its modern-occult MMORPG The Secret World.
- 2008
Age of Conan launches
[1]Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures is released as a licensed MMORPG based on the Conan property.
- 2005
Funcom is listed in Oslo
[1]Funcom N.V. becomes listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.
- 2001
Anarchy Online launches
[1]Funcom releases its science-fiction MMORPG, which becomes a long-running online property.
- 1994
Funcom Dublin is established
[1]A Dublin subsidiary is created to focus on console development.
- 1993
Funcom is founded in Norway
[1]Erik Gloersen, Tyr Neilsen, Andre Backen, Gaute Godager, and Olav Mørkrid establish Funcom as an independent game developer and publisher.
Products and positioning
An internationally oriented developer and publisher focused on online worlds, survival gameplay, role-playing, adventure, and games based on established fantasy and science-fiction properties.
Adventure game
The Longest Journey
A narrative-driven adventure game that established Funcom’s reputation for story-focused interactive entertainment. It was distributed internationally in multiple languages and became the foundation for the later Dreamfall titles.
MMORPG · 2001
Anarchy Online
A science-fiction massively multiplayer online role-playing game set on the planet Rubi-Ka. Funcom supported it through a long sequence of expansions and ongoing live operations, making it one of the company’s defining online properties.
MMORPG · 2008
Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures
A large-scale online action role-playing game licensed from the Conan the Cimmerian universe. The title later adopted a hybrid commercial model and was marketed as Age of Conan: Unchained, with Rise of the Godslayer serving as a major expansion.
MMORPG · 2012
The Secret World
An online role-playing game built around contemporary settings, occult conspiracies, puzzles, and secret societies. The original game was later rebuilt and relaunched as the free-to-play Secret World Legends.
Open-world survival game · 2017
Conan Exiles
An open-world survival sandbox set in the Conan universe. Players gather resources, construct settlements, fight enemies, and survive in a hostile environment. It entered PC early access in 2017, reached consoles through preview programs, and launched fully in 2018.
Free-to-play MMORPG · 2017
Secret World Legends
A rebuilt and relaunched version of The Secret World. The free-to-play edition introduced a revised presentation and progression structure while retaining the original universe’s modern supernatural setting.
Real-time strategy and 4X game · 2022
Dune: Spice Wars
A strategy game developed by Shiro Games and published by Funcom. It combines real-time gameplay with 4X systems and is based on the Dune setting.
Controversies
Marketing campaigns
- 2017Funcom brand repositioning and new logo
International
Funcom introduced a new logo and brand presentation that acknowledged difficult periods in the company’s history while emphasizing a renewed focus on its games and future projects.
Outcome. Updated corporate identity
Brand decisions
2020
Tencent acquisitionM&ABackground
Tencent became Funcom’s largest shareholder after acquiring a minority stake in 2019.
Action taken
Tencent purchased the remaining outstanding shares and completed the acquisition, taking Funcom private.
Aftermath
Funcom continued operating as a Tencent-owned developer and publisher with international studios and licensed-property projects.
2017
Conan Exiles early-access launchProduct launchBackground
Funcom sought to broaden its portfolio beyond large, costly MMORPG launches.
Action taken
The company released Conan Exiles through PC early access and subsequently expanded it to console preview programs.
Aftermath
The game became a central survival-game property for Funcom and received a full launch in 2018.
2007
Shift to digital distributionStrategyBackground
Funcom faced losses associated with physical product distribution and software piracy.
Action taken
The company announced a move away from conventional optical-disc distribution toward fully digital delivery.
Aftermath
The decision positioned Funcom more closely with the emerging digital-distribution model for PC games.
Recent events
- 2022
Funcom published Dune: Spice Wars in early access[1]
Product launch
Funcom published Shiro Games’ real-time strategy and 4X title Dune: Spice Wars on Steam Early Access.
- 2021
Funcom acquired The Outsiders[1]
M&A
Funcom acquired Swedish developer The Outsiders as part of its expansion of development capabilities.
- 2021
Funcom acquired Cabinet Group’s intellectual-property assets[1]
M&A
The acquisition brought rights connected with Conan, Mutant, Solomon Kane, and other works associated with Robert E. Howard.
- 2020
Tencent acquired Funcom[1]
M&A
Tencent first took a minority position in Funcom in 2019 and completed the purchase of all outstanding shares in 2020, taking the company private.
- 2017
Conan Exiles entered early access[1]
Product launch · Product generation
Funcom released Conan Exiles in PC early access and later brought it to Xbox through the Game Preview program.
- 2015
Funcom entered a preferred partnership for Conan games[1]
Other
Funcom entered an agreement with Conan Properties International to become its preferred partner for PC and console games based on the Conan property.
- 2012
Funcom reduced staff after The Secret World underperformed[1]
Other
The company announced that roughly half of its workforce would be laid off or placed on temporary leave as a cost-adjustment measure.
- 2009
Age of Conan performance triggered losses and workforce reductions[1]
Other · Leadership change
Following the weaker-than-expected launch of Age of Conan, Funcom reported significant losses and implemented staff reductions.
- 2009
Funcom opened a Montreal development studio[1]
Other
The company established a Montreal studio to support The Secret World and Age of Conan development.
- 2007
Funcom moved toward fully digital distribution[1]
Other
The company announced that it would abandon conventional physical distribution in favor of digital delivery, citing losses associated with software piracy.
Showing the 10 most recent.
Sources12 sources
- 1Funcomen.wikipedia.org
- 2Funcom official websitefuncom.com
- 3海外收购再下一城，腾讯出价1.48亿美元收购挪威游戏开发商Funcomtech.sina.com.cn
- 4Aloft Launches in Early 2027 for PS5 and PCvgchartz.com
- 5Funcom acquires Conan IP holdergamesindustry.biz
- 6Funcom Acquires Full Control Of Conan The Barbarian IPsbleedingcool.com
- 7Funcom acquires the Conan and Mutant Year Zero IProckpapershotgun.com
- 8Funcom Fully Acquires Conan the Barbarian Character, New Game In the Works - IGNign.com
- 9Funcom再度裁员 重心转向《沙丘：觉醒》《流放者柯南》长线运营3dmgame.com
- 10MYZ celebrates 1-year anniversary with massive sale and fan made film releasemynewsdesk.com
- 11Tencent Acquires Almost a Third of Computer Games Developer Funcom - Coinspeakercoinspeaker.com
- 12Tencent Acquires Majority Shares in Funcomin.ign.com
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