Although 2020 was a trying year for a lot of publishers, THQ Nordic has had quite a solid run over the last 12 months, releasing several huge games from a variety of cult-franchises. From the Destroy All Humans remake, which was the first entry in the chaotic third-person shooter series since 2009, to Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning, which finally resurrected the beloved fantasy RPG for modern audiences, the studio made a lot of dormant fanbases incredibly happy.

However, the publisher's biggest release was undeniably SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom -Rehydrated, which saw the iconic Nickelodeon cartoon's 2003 video game adaptation remade from the ground-up. Seeing as the original game had quite the following online, Battle for Bikini Bottom's return was met warmly by fans. It was seemingly so much of a hit with audiences that it pulled in some serious financial returns, with a new interview between GamesIndustry.biz and THQ Nordic CEO Klemens Kreuzer revealing that the game was a raging success.

RELATED: Madden 21 Teases Strange Crossover with SpongeBob SquarePants

"It was a fantastic success for us, with sales of more than one million units -- and I wouldn't be surprised if it reached two million one day," Kreuzer reveals when discussing Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated"I think there's a market for those kind of games. The community was so full of joy." The exceptional number of sales seemingly cemented the long-running relationship between the publisher and the title's developer, Purple Lamp Studios, with THQ Nordic acquiring the studio back in November. During the interview, Kreuzer even reveals that the publisher has set the team on some new licensed projects, claiming two of its upcoming titles will be based on already-existing properties.

apple android release january 2021

That's not to say that Purple Lamp will be dealing exclusively in remakes and remasters, however, with Kreuzer specifying that, while "Remakes will be part of their future projects," the team will be building new games in the style of older titles as well. It seems the Battle for Bikini Bottom sales have reinforced Kreuzer's view that fun should lie at the forefront of THQ Nordic's games, stating during the interview: "That's what gaming is about, entertaining people."

As for what players can expect from the studio following its rampant success with its recent SpongeBob title, the company currently has a whopping 61 projects in development, with Kreuzer revealing to GamesIndustry.biz that the lineup will take THQ Nordic up to "Summer 2024." It'll be interesting to see whether some form of sequel to Battle for Bikini Bottom emerges following the game's success. In the meantime, players can look forward to Biomutantwith the ambitious open-world RPG currently looking to be the publisher's biggest upcoming release for 2021.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, Switch, and Xbox One, with a mobile port releasing January 21, 2021.

MORE: Look at How Cute Everyone Is in the Spongebob Prequel 'Kamp Koral'

Source: GamesIndustry.biz