Take-Two Buys Kerbal Space Program

A major publisher has snapped up renowned spaceflight simulator Kerbal Space Program. Take-Two, which has purchased the critically-acclaimed game from developer Squad, promises to support and expand KSP as a long-term franchise. The move follows news that eight former Squad developers recently jumped ship to join Valve.

Take-Two’s Portfolio Diversification

While ownership of KSP has shifted to Take-Two, Squad will continue as the game’s developer. In addition, the Making History expansion is still on course for a 2017 release. As Take-Two says in a press release:

“The acquisition of Kerbal Space Program further diversifies Take-Two’s industry-leading portfolio of owned intellectual property. The current team at Squad will continue to provide support and ongoing development for the title through game updates and expansions, including the previously announced Kerbal Space Program: Making History Expansion, which is expected to launch later this calendar year.”

Kerbal Space Program – A “Long-Term Franchise”

Take-Two plans to expand KSP into a “franchise” over the coming years. Michael Worosz, SVP, Head of Corporate Development and Independent Publishing at Take-Two, explains:

“We view Kerbal Space Program as a new, long-term franchise that adds a well-respected and beloved IP to Take-Two’s portfolio as we continue to explore opportunities across the independent development landscape.”

KSP will join the likes of GTA, BioShock, and Borderlands as notable Take-Two properties.

No Big Changes

KSP developer Squad reassures existing players of continued support, with the help of Take-Two. Squad says:

“The important thing to know is that this big news doesn’t change much for the KSP community. Squad and the current development team is still here and we’re hard at work on KSP and its future updates, but now we are fortunate enough to do so with the help of an experienced publisher like Take-Two, and we couldn’t be more excited and happy to see where our conjoint collaboration will take KSP forward.” 

A Brief History of Kerbal Space Program

Kerbal Space Program tasks the player with building a craft worthy of launching your little green humanoid Kerbals into space. When constructing your craft, you must consider balance, orbital physics, and aerodynamics to achieve a successful lift-off. SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk is a notable fan of the game. The game launched in 2015 on PC, following two years on Steam Early Access. Last year, the game arrived on consoles – PS4 and Xbox One – though only in North America, sadly. To date, KSP has sold over 2 million copies.