Z-Man Games Returns English and French Rights for Games To Feuerland

A triptych image: left shows a medieval feast, reminiscent of scenes often depicted in French rights' manuscripts, with a hand holding a horn; the middle features a spaceman observing a cosmic explosion; the right portrays a warrior overlooking Z-Man Games' inspired landscape with rivers and fields.

Z-Man Games and Feuerland Spiele have been in partnership, with Z-Man bringing you the English and French versions of Terra Mystica, A Feast for Odin, and Gaia Project. It’s been good, but it’s now ending. Z-Man Games is giving the rights for those versions of the games back again.

From the post:

Since 2012, Z-Man Games has worked with Feuerland Spiele to bring their excellent games to the English- and French-speaking markets, and it has been our privilege to support such beloved titles as Terra Mystica, A Feast for Odin, Gaia Project, and more. It is with a feeling of gratitude that we announce that we’re returning the English and French rights to these games to Feuerland.

Frank Heeren, Feuerland’s founder and owner, has been a longtime partner of Z-Man Games, from our F2Z days through the present. Back when Terra Mysticawas first released, it was common for regional publishers to seek out foreign counterparts to localize and import their games for overseas markets. As the tabletop games industry has continued to grow and evolve in the years since, including the rise of a vast distribution network, publishers that were once considered regional now have access to international channels to bring their games to any part of the world.

As a telling example, Frank and the Feuerland team attended Gen Con 2019 as an independent studio with their own booth space, and they plan to return to future North American trade shows in the coming years to support their fans here. They’ve also diversified their catalog with games like Fuji, Crystal Palace, and Magnastorm, which they chose to publish straight to the international gaming scene, English editions included, with our knowledge and blessing.

We’re thrilled that Feuerland has grown to its current size—in employees, catalog, and industry influence—and we deeply appreciate the role they allowed Z-Man to play in bringing their games to English- and French-speaking players throughout the world. We’re excited to turn the reins back over to them as the original publisher and see what comes next!

But right now you fans might be asking: What does this mean for the future of some of my favorite games?

Rest assured, you will still be able to purchase new copies of Feuerland’s many great games in English and French, including both reprints of existing games and brand-new upcoming releases. A Feast for Odin, Fields of Arle, and Lowlands will continue to be distributed through Asmodee US, while Terra Mystica, its expansions, and Gaia Projectwill be distributed by Capstone Games in North America. Although the logo on the box may be different, future reprints will be fully compatible with current stock.

It’s been a great pleasure over the years to work with Frank and the Feuerland team to co-publish their games. Please join us in wishing them well in their future endeavors!