Relic, the developers of Company of Heroes and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, regain their independence for the first time in 20 years aiming to “return to their roots”.

After 20 years, Relic Entertainment, the Canadian game company known for franchises such as Homeworld, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, and Company of Heroes, officially becomes independent.

In late March, Japanese publisher Sega decided to sell Relic and lay off 240 employees from its European division. However, thanks to a third-party investor, the studio has declared its independence once more.

According to the portal Game Developer, Relic Entertainment has managed to secure enough funding to remain independent for the foreseeable future.

The studio has found a savior in investment firm Emona Capital, enabling it to “return to its roots.” Justin Dowdeswell, CEO of Emona, made the announcement.

According to Dowdeswell, Emona will invest in Relic’s current portfolio, which includes the Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War and Company of Heroes series, and will support its collaboration with other franchise owners and publishers.

Emona is confident in the potential of strategy games and is committed to enabling Relic, one of the best in its genre, to express its “creative vision as an independent studio”.

Founded in 1997, Relic launched the first two Homeworld games before being acquired by THQ in 2004. Under THQ, the studio initiated the Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War and Company of Heroes franchises. It was then taken over by Sega in 2013.