Norway's Funcom has said that 2018 was its best year yet, boasting of record profits and revealing some pretty big plans for the future.

In its investor release, the developer and publisher announced that it has landed the Dune IP from media firm Legendary Entertainment. As part of this deal, Funcom has to make "a minimum of three games" within the next six years for PC and console.

The first of these is going to be an open-world multiplayer title, with Funcom's Oslo studio at the helm. That developer is also working on a Conan single player game.

These are just two of the five games that Funcom has announced are in the pipeline, alongside Conan Unconquered - set for a Q2 2019 launch - a new Funcom IP being made by Rock Pocket and the company's North Carolina studio, which is working on multiplayer co-op shooter Heroic Signatures.

"We are very excited to announce an exclusive gaming partnership with Legendary Entertainment to develop a line of video games based on the works of Frank Herbert’s Dune," CEO Rui Casais (pictured) said.

"Dune is one of the world’s best-known science fiction universes and a personal favourite of mine. To work on Dune games is a dream come true for many of us in Funcom. We will talk more about what we will do in this fantastic universe in the future.

"Funcom is stronger than ever. With an incredibly exciting pipeline of games, and by continuing to successfully execute on our strategy, it is my conviction that we will lift the company to new heights.”