According to the Baltimore Business Journal, publisher THQ has reached an agreement with Big Huge Games to acquire the developer for an undisclosed sum. The deal, which is expected to close "soon," will see Big Huge Games retain its 100 local (Maryland) employees, offices and name.

According to Tim Train, founder and chief operating officer of Big Huge Games, becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of THQ will allow the developer to better focus on creating games, rather than worrying about the business end of things. "Part of you has to be running the business and maintaining relationships with publishers," Train told the publication. "That takes up a lot of bandwidth and energy we think is better put toward making great games."

Train along with veterans Brian Reynolds, Jason Coleman, and Dave Inscore founded Big Huge Games back in 2000. The developer has worked on popular franchises such as Rise of Nations, Alpha Centauri, Civilization and Elder Scrolls.

Over the last year, THQ and Big Huge Games have been collaborating on a yet-to-be-announced RPG led by famed Oblivion developer Ken Rolston, who has a 25-year history in gaming, including the table-top RPGs and Paranoia and RuneQuest. (Check out our interview with Train and Rolston from last May.) THQ and Big Huge Games have also started work on a second, unannounced game, according to the report.

As for THQ, the deal aligns well with the publisher's strategy for growth, which involves strengthening internal development and acquiring partners that are "a good fit" and "fill in gaps we perceive in our portfolio," said Jack Sorensen, executive vice president of worldwide studios for THQ.