FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kathy Mendoza 

THQ/Media Relations 

818/ 871-5059

Mary Nelson Garrett 

THQ/Investor Relations 

818/ 871-5090

THQ SHIPS CHAMPIONSHIP MOTOCROSS 2001 FEATURING RICKY CARMICHAEL

CALABASAS HILLS, Calif. - January 31, 2001 -THQ Inc. (NASDAQ NMS: THQI) today announced the release of Championship Motocross 2001 featuring Ricky Carmichael for PlayStation. Based on the growing sport of Motocross and featuring the reigning 250cc National Outdoor Champion, Ricky Carmichael, Championship Motocross 2001 featuring Ricky Carmichael is now available at major retail outlets nationwide.

"Ricky Carmichael dominated the 250cc class in the 2000 Outdoor National series with a record-setting nine wins," said Germaine Gioia, vice president, licensing, THQ. "We're thrilled to see Ricky's talent and popularity skyrocket and to be bringing the best in motocross racing and freestyle action to the millions of motocross fans and gamers looking for the definitive motocross experience on the PlayStation."

Championship Motocross 2001 featuring Ricky Carmichael for PlayStation features 28 real motocross riders including the sport's top racers and freestylers, Mike Larocco, Jeff Emig, Greg Albertyn, Carey Hart, Mike Cinqmars and more. The game offers 24 tracks in motocross, supercross and freestyle including the National Outdoor Championship Series and the THQ US Open. With 3D track environments and Funcom's proprietary RMD+ physics system, Championship Motocross 2001 featuring Ricky Carmichael redefines the standard for motocross on the PlayStation by delivering realistic and responsive rider dynamics both on the ground and in the air.

"Playing the game with the fans at the pro and amateur events over the past few months has been a blast," said Ricky Carmichael, who recently seized his fourth consecutive National Outdoor Championship title. "It's awesome to see how well the game is doing and all the great things fans are saying about it."

Enthusiasts can also look forward to the next generation of the Championship Motocross series with this summer's anticipated Championship Motocross 2002 featuring Ricky Carmichael (working title) for the PlayStation 2 game console. For more information on THQ's Championship Motocross line, please visit http://www.cmx2001.com.

About Ricky Carmichael In 1998, Ricky Carmichael was the first rider in history to win every race in the 125cc Supercross Series, winning the Eastern Regional title and the East-West Shoot-Out in Las Vegas. Since turning professional in 1996, Carmichael has four National Championships to his credit. He has dominated the 125cc class like no other rider in the history of the sport and recently clinched the 250cc class National Outdoor title in 2000 continuing to prove his riding talent.

About Funcom 

Funcom is an independent game developer based in Norway and Ireland. Founded in 1993, the company has grown considerably and counts 120 full-time employees in 1999. Funcom has previously developed games like Impact Racing for JVC, Pocahontas for Disney, NBA Hangtime for Midway and Casper for Interplay. Having sold more than 1.5 million copies of its games, the company now focuses its resources on three areas: PC, Sony PlayStation and online games. Visit Funcom's games at http://www.funcom.com. 

About THQ THQ Inc. develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software worldwide for a variety of hardware platforms including PC CD-ROM, and those manufactured by Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft and Sega. For more information on THQ's products, visit http://www.thq.com.

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The statements contained in this release which are not historical facts may be deemed to constitute forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in such statements due to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, demand and competition for the Company's products, and other risks and uncertainties detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and as more specifically set forth in our most recent Form 8-K filed on November 13, 2000.