Editing BattleTech (section)

{{Short description|Wargaming and military science fiction franchise}}
{{About|the franchise|2018 video game|BattleTech (video game)}}
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[[File:Logo for the BattleTech franchise, created 2009.png|thumb|Former BattleTech logo]]

'''''BattleTech''''' is a [[wargaming]] and [[military science fiction]] franchise<ref name="ESF">{{cite book| others = technical editor, John Grant; contributing editor, Brian Stableford| title = The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction| edition = 2nd| orig-year = 1993| year = 1995| publisher = St. Martin's Griffin| location = New York| isbn = 978-0-312-09618-2| page = [https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofsc00ies1/page/466 466]| chapter = Games and Sports| quote = ...many visions of a corrupt future society forsee the return of bloody games in the Roman tradition... The BattleTech shared-world series (see also Robert Thurston) moves the formula on to a galactic stage.| ref = ESF| editor1-first = John| editor1-last = Clute| editor2-first = Peter| editor2-last = Nicholls | title-link = The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction}}</ref> launched by [[FASA Corporation]] in 1984, acquired by [[WizKids]] in 2001, which was in turn acquired by [[Topps]] in 2003;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://icv2.com/articles/games/view/2950/topps-acquires-wizkids|title=Topps Acquires WizKids|website=icv2.com}}</ref> and published since 2007 by [[Catalyst Game Labs]]. The trademark is currently owned by Topps and, for video games, [[Microsoft Gaming]]; Catalyst Game Studios licenses the franchise from Topps.

The series began with FASA's debut of the [[board game]] ''[[Classic BattleTech|BattleTech]]'' (originally named ''[[Battledroids]]'') by [[Jordan Weisman]] and [[L. Ross Babcock III]] and has since grown to include [[List of BattleTech games|numerous expansions to the original game]], several board games, [[role playing game]]s, video games, a [[collectible card game]], a series of [[List of BattleTech novels|more than 100 novels]], and an animated [[BattleTech: The Animated Series|television series]].<ref name="HG">{{Cite book | contribution=BattleTech | title=[[Hobby Games: The 100 Best]] | last=Reed | first=Philip J. | author-link= Philip J. Reed| editor-last=Lowder | editor-first=James | editor-link=James Lowder | publisher=[[Green Ronin Publishing]] | year=2007 | pages=24–27 | isbn=978-1-932442-96-0}}</ref>