It’s not every day that some of the most iconic board games in the hobby scene get handed off like prized relics in a fantasy epic—but that’s exactly what just happened.
CMON, the studio behind some of the most visually stunning and mechanically rich games of the last decade, has officially sold off several of its flagship titles to new publishers. And no, this isn’t just a licensing shuffle—we’re talking full-on intellectual property transfers.
So here’s the situation: CMON—short for CoolMiniOrNot and one of the biggest players of the Kickstarter board game universe—just announced they’ve sold off a chunk of their heavy-hitting game library. Not licensed out. Not co-developed. Straight-up sold the intellectual property rights. Gone. Handed over. New publishers, new direction, new era.
Let’s start with the shockers. Tabletop Tycoon, the company behind Starling Games and Victory Point Games, is now the proud new owner of Arcadia Quest and Starcadia Quest. For the uninitiated, Arcadia Quest was one of CMON’s earliest mega-hits—an arena-style campaign game full of chibi fantasy heroes, PvP chaos, and monsters you love to hate. Starcadia Quest took that same DNA into space, with goofy sci-fi flair and colorful minis that exploded off the table. These weren’t just products—they were IPs with lore, fanbases, and expansions for days.
But wait—it gets wilder. Tabletop Tycoon also picked up the Legendary Saga. If that name doesn’t immediately ring a bell, maybe the individual titles will: Blood Rage. Rising Sun. Ankh: Gods of Egypt. That’s right—the Eric Lang trilogy. Three of the most beautifully designed, mythologically soaked strategy games of the last ten years. These games weren’t just crowdfunded—they broke crowdfunding. Blood Rage alone raised over $900k on Kickstarter back in 2015 and basically changed the way people viewed miniatures-heavy board games. Rising Sun brought feudal Japanese politics and betrayal into the mix. Ankh delivered a cosmic battle royale between dying Egyptian gods. And now? All three have new owners.
CMON dropped this bombshell on May 30, 2025, with a carefully worded press release. Their statement says this wasn’t a desperate fire sale but a strategic move to “focus more tightly” on current projects and streamline their internal operations. Translation: delays, tariffs, and rising costs were making things messy, and something had to give. We already made a video on the CMON profit warning! The company openly acknowledged they’ve been falling behind on some campaign deliveries—Zombicide: White Death, for example, is still rolling out now—and they’ve hit pause on launching any new crowdfunding campaigns until the chaos settles.
There’s also a secret deal in the mix. CMON mentioned that another original IP has been sold, but they’re not naming names just yet. Which has the internet speculating—Could it be The Others? Massive Darkness? Maybe even one of the spin-offs from the Zombicide universe?
But this isn’t just about who owns what. This is about where these games go next. CMON insists the new publishers are committed to expanding the universes and maintaining the quality fans expect. And in fairness, Tabletop Tycoon does have a decent rep for nurturing creative projects and giving them breathing room. So there’s hope.
Meanwhile, CMON is setting the stage for a new chapter. They’ve got retail-focused games debuting at Essen Spiel 2025, a new video series called “Inside CMON” coming in June, and promises of improved communication and delivery going forward.
The community reaction? Mixed. Some fans are cautiously optimistic. Others are big mad. There’s nostalgia involved here—these games weren’t just entertainment, they were events. They built friendships, defined game nights, and filled cabinets. Seeing them move on is like watching your favorite band sell their catalog.
But hey, maybe it’s the rebirth these titles needed. A fresh publisher might mean more expansions, better support, even reprints of long-lost promos and exclusives. Or it might be a mess. That’s the gamble.
Either way, we’re watching the landscape shift in real time. And whether you’re here for the drama, the business strategy, or just want to know when to expect your Zombicide minis in the mail—stay tuned.
