A remastered version of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning has popped up on the Microsoft Store, despite not yet being officially announced.

Its new title, regrettably, is indeed "Re-Reckoning".

If you missed it first time round, Kingdoms of Amalur is an ambitious RPG with a sprawling map and excellent world-building, albeit one which failed to spawn the franchise it was so clearly trying to set up.

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Dormant-brand vacuum THQ Nordic sucked up another surprising IP last week: Kingdoms of Amalur, the accomplished but bland fantasy role-playing game from 2012.

THQ Nordic didn't say what it was going to do with the IP but did mention wanting to get in touch with EA, the original publisher of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. And now I know why.

"EA still has the publishing rights to Reckoning," THQ Nordic told me in an email. I expect it means any potential remasters or re-releases will depend on getting EA's go-ahead first. "About any other details about the relationship between EA and 38 Studios we can't comment."

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Talk about mopping up: THQ Nordic has bought the Kingdoms of Amalur IP as well as the unreleased Copernicus MMO.

The rights were bought from 38 Studios, the company belonging to former baseball star Curt Schilling who was, along with his company, embroiled in a long and arduous court battle after he defaulted on a loan from the Rhode Island state. What a state indeed.

It's not clear how much THQ Nordic paid nor what it plans to do with the licence - will it finish the work done on the Copernicus MMO and release it? - but it's an eye-opening purchase nonetheless.

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