A Delaware bankruptcy judge has approved the sale of a chunk of Midway to Warner Bros.

The bulk of the troubled publisher went to Warners for $33 million. The sale includes the Mortal Kombat and Wheelman properties, as well as Midway's Chicago and Seattle development studios.

The TNA franchise and Midway's San Diego and Newcastle studios were not included in the deal. The studios have reportedly been told that if a buyer is not found for them in the next two months they will have to shut up shop.

Mark Thomas, the investor who snapped up Midway for a paltry $100,000 last year, has come away laughing like a maniacal supervillain. He has pocketed $5m as part of the deal.

Arguments over ownership of both the Mortal Kombat and Wheelman properties have been resolved. Threshold Entertainment Inc., the production company behind the Mortal Kombat films and the Vin Diesel-owned Tigon Studios, which was involved in Wheelman, both initially disputed the sale.

^{Sources:
Chicago Tribune
Variety}