Rebellion Developments has been expanding quite a bit recently, having just unveiled its new board game division Rebellion Unplugged. Today, the developer and publisher revealed that it has acquired the rights to The Bitmap Brothers brand and its portfolio of games. While the development team itself does not seem to be getting revived, Rebellion says it will be re-releasing some of The Bitmap Brothers' games and continuing their series as well.

Today's announcement specifically calls out Xenon, Speedball, The Chaos Engine and Z: Steel Soldiers. Those are probably The Bitmap Brothers' most notable games, so it makes sense that they would be the ones Rebellion plans on reviving. Still, it is safe to presume that the release of any new titles in these series is still probably years away. If anything comes soon, it will be re-releases of Xenon, Speedball, The Chaos Engine and Z: Steel Soldiers for PC and consoles.

Jason Kingsley, Founder and CEO of Rebellion Developments, commented on this acquisition. "We're delighted with the addition of The Bitmap Brothers to the ever-growing Rebellion portfolio. The Bitmap Brothers are renowned for making great games and for bringing gaming into the mainstream with inimitable style. We've known Mike Montgomery for many years and we're honored by the faith and trust that he has shown in us by passing on the torch. We'll strive to be vigilant custodians of one of gaming's great names." The Bitmap Brothers started making games back in the '80s but have been fairly dormant for the past decade.

Having these new IP under their belt will certainly help as Rebellion keeps expanding. In just a couple of months, they will be launching Zombie Army 4: Dead War. Sniper Elite VR, Evil Genius 2: World Domination and a new mainline Sniper Elite game are all also in the pipeline. DualShockers will be sure to keep you in the loop whenever Rebellion confirms what is next for Xenon, Speedball, The Chaos Engine and Z: Steel Soldiers.