Cryptic Studios announced today that it has sold the intellectual and proprietary rights to both the City of Heroes and City of Villains franchises. The successful MMO series will now be owned part and parcel by publisher NCsoft. As part of the deal, NCsoft will license Cryptic's engine technologies for use with future games.

"City of Heroes and City of Villains players should be assured that Cryptic Studios will be working closely with NCsoft to ensure a smooth, seamless transition," said Michael Lewis, President and co-founder of Cryptic Studios. "City of Heroes was Cryptic's flagship product and we are proud of this title and the many millions of characters that have entertained over a million people worldwide. The decision to sell the franchise allows us to focus resources on our soon to be announced first-party projects."

Currently, Cryptic is working on a Marvel Comics MMO.