The uncertain future of Kerbal Space Program Forum. With Private Division sold, what does this mean for the franchise

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Despite being over a decade old, there’s been some uncertainty surrounding Kerbal Space Program recently, particularly concerning its publisher, Private Division. This has sparked concerns among fans, as they view the forum as the lifeblood of the community. When technical issues started appearing, it understandably caused unease. However, now, it appears the site is entirely offline, which is a significant concern. Could this be a consequence of some corporate drama unfolding?

The downfall of Kerbal Space Program 2

A gentle nudge about the recent developments with Kerbal Space Program 2, a game initially anticipated as an excellent sequel to the original KSP. However, it unfortunately evolved into a situation where players find themselves in a less than ideal state.

  1. The trouble began when Take-Two Interactive, owner of the Private Division label, pulled the project from Star Theory Games, poached much of its team to form Intercept Games, and left Star Theory to shut down. To make things worse, they forced Intercept to use outdated code and limited experienced hires, causing major technical issues for Kerbal Space Program 2.
  2. When KSP2 hit Early Access in 2023, it came with a hefty price tag but lacked many of KSP1‘s features. It was also riddled with bugs. Players dealt with crashes, unstable physics, and missing gameplay elements. The community was not happy, and the negative reviews started piling up.
  3. In 2024, things got worse when Take-Two announced it was shutting down Intercept Games. This caused even more backlash, with KSP2‘s Steam reviews nosediving. Later that year, Take-Two sold off its Private Division label, which included KSP2, to an unknown buyer.
  4. In January 2025, new news emerged, revealing that Take-Two Interactive had sold Private Division to a private equity firm called Havi Investments. However, by that point, Take-Two had already stripped Private Division down to just contracts and intellectual property. To manage these, Havi teamed up with former Annapurna Interactive employees to form a new company, which may now handle the publishing and development of titles, including Kerbal Space Program 2.

It’s unclear at this point what the future holds for the Kerbal Space Program series, but it seems the new company may prioritize upcoming games, including Tales of the Shire, a title previously under Private Division, which is slated for release in March.

Is the KSP forum shut down for good?

The KSP discussion forum has experienced inconsistent uptime, and approximately seven months ago, a troubling announcement from one of the moderators was shared on Reddit.

Friends, our current circumstances are rather unpredictable, as it appears that most, if not all, employees from our previous company owners have been let go. At this moment, we’re unsure about the future plans of the new leadership regarding the game and the forum.

They too warned us that the forum might shut down unexpectedly at any moment, without prior notice. Regrettably, this prediction has come true. Over the years, the site amassed an impressive collection of content, ranging from troubleshooting tips to mod support. The loss of all this information would be a heavy setback if it’s gone for good. Here’s hoping that, similar to past instances, the downtime is due to technical problems and the forums will be back online soon.

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2025-01-23 20:31