CALABASAS HILLS, Calif., June 9, 2005 - THQ Inc. (Nasdaq: THQI) and critically- acclaimed development studio Relic Entertainment announced today that The Game Critics Awards has awarded Company of Heroes, the next revolution in action-strategy PC gaming, the distinction of Best Strategy Game, based on evaluations made during last month's Electronic Entertainment Expo.

"We have been really excited to unveil Company of Heroes to the public for a long time and are happy to see Relic's hard work has been validated by the industry's top journalists," said Ron Moravek, general manager, Relic Entertainment. "Company of Heroes is not only going to raise the bar for the real time strategy genre, but for PC games in general."

The "Game Critics Awards: Best of E3" awards are presented annually by The Game Critics Awards, an independent group of journalists from 33 leading North American media outlets that cover the videogame industry. Now in its ninth year, these awards recognize the games that will shape the future of interactive entertainment. Games eligible for nomination were shown during the May 2005 Electronic Entertainment Expo, the world's largest videogame convention.

A real-time strategy (RTS) game set in World War II, Company of Heroes brings to life, in full cinematic detail, the greatest war mankind has ever known. The game is built on Relic's next-generation Essence Engine, delivering cinematic visual detail in a world completely driven by realistic physics. The game is scheduled to release worldwide in 2006.

Company of Heroes has also picked up a collection of awards from some of the top online game web sites in the world, including:


- Winner, Best PC Game of Show; Winner, Best Strategy Game of Show; Finalist, Best Overall Game of Show - Gamespot.com

- Runner Up, Best Strategy Game (PC), Runner Up, Technological Excellence (PC) - IGN.com

- Best of E3 - Gamespy.com

"We're pleased with the strong reaction our product line received at E3 across the board," said Brian Farrell, president and CEO, THQ. "In addition to the overwhelming success by Company of Heroes, Saint's Row was awarded the GameSpot People's Choice Award, and Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers was recognized by IGN as the best Xbox strategy game of the show."

For more information, please visit www.companyofheroesgame.com For more information on the Game Critics Awards, please visit www.gamecriticsawards.com.

About Relic Entertainment

Founded in 1997 and acquired by THQ in 2004, Relic Entertainment is a leader in the development of innovative real-time strategy games for the PC. Relic's first title, "Homeworld" (1999), was received to widespread acclaim, garnering several "Game of the Year" and "Strategy Game of the Year" awards from major industry publications including PC Gamer and Computer Gaming World. Since then, Relic has released "Homeworld: Cataclysm" (2000, co-developed with Barking Dog Studios), "Impossible Creatures" (2003), and "Homeworld 2" (2003). The studio's most recent release, "Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War" (2004), won numerous accolades including "Strategy Game of the Year" from Computer Gaming World. Today, Relic is building on this legacy by developing multiple groundbreaking PC and next-gen console projects in the RTS and action genres including "Company of Heroes", "Warhammer: 40,000: Dawn of War -- Winter Assault" and "The Outfit".

About THQ

THQ Inc. (Nasdaq: THQI) is a leading worldwide developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software. The company develops its products for all popular game systems, personal computers and wireless devices. Headquartered in Los Angeles County, California, THQ sells product through its global network of offices located in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Korea and Australia. More information about THQ and its products may be found at www.thq.com and www.thqwireless.com. THQ, THQ Wireless, Relic Entertainment, Company of Heroes, The Outfit and their respective logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of THQ Inc.

Posted: June 9, 2005