Viacom sells Rock Band maker Harmonix

Harmonix, the company behind the successful “Rock Band” and “Dance Central” franchises, is no longer a part of the Viacom empire.

Viacom, which announced plans to shed itself of the division last month, has sold the division to an investment management firm which will return Harmonix to its independent roots.

While there’s an ugly lawsuit brewing between ex-shareholders (including the founders of Harmonix) and Viacom, the developer only had good things to say about its former owner today when announcing the sale to its fans.

“Viacom and MTV Networks have been an amazing home for us over the past 4 years,” Harmonix wrote in a forum posting. “It’s where we launched both Rock Band and Dance Central, worked with The Beatles, Green Day, AC/DC, The Who and thousands of other artists. We want to take a moment to thank everyone in that organization who helped make these awesome games possible.”

The lawsuit will continue, though, as the ex-shareholders group is accusing Viacome of manipulating costs after the success of Rock Band to avoid a sizable earn-out payment.

Viacom bought Harmonix in 2006 for $175 million. Terms of today's sale were not announced.