Fans who are concerned about the fate of Kerbal Space Program and other games by Private Division can breathe a sigh of relief because the ex-Annapurna Interactive staff plans to take over. According to Bloomberg, the staff who left Annapurna Interactive last year will acquire the games and franchises published by Private Division. The news broke last November, but it has only recently been confirmed that the ex-Annapurna Interactive staff will take control of these games. Take-Two sold the label to the Austin-based private equity firm Haveli, which will fund the new company established by the former Annapurna staff.
This can be considered great news, given what happened to Private Division and Annapurna Interactive. Last summer, Take-Two Interactive planned to close Private Division after shutting down various studios and laying off numerous staff members. Kerbal Space Program creator Intercept Games is one of the many affected. Although Kerbal Space Program 2 is currently in Early Access on Steam, it has received mostly negative reviews due to bugs and a lack of updates. The game’s future became bleaker with the studio’s closure.
Things at Annapurna Interactive were also not going well. There were reports of a power struggle that led to the resignation of numerous staff members. While Annapurna Interactive hires new employees to continue working on its projects, former staff have struck a deal with Haveli. Besides funding their new company, Haveli has promised to let them take charge of former Private Division titles, including Kerbal Space Program, Tales of the Shire, and even an unannounced title from Pokemon developer Game Freak.
With former Annapurna staff taking charge, things may improve for Kerbal Space Program and other Private Division franchises. These individuals have proven themselves to be passionate and hardworking. Their most recent hit is the popular cat game Stray, which is a charming and unique puzzle game. Unlike Take-Two Interactive, which doesn’t seem to understand the appeal of Kerbal Space Program and other niche games, the former Annapurna staff will likely know how to handle these franchises.
