Many studios were closed in 2024. Numerous developers lost their jobs. This also happened to Intercept Games, the creators of Kerbal Space Program 2. Yet, despite a non-operational studio, Take Two is still selling the game in Early Access on Steam, with features that no one is working on.
What happened? As reported by MeinMMO in early May, Take Two closed two studios of Private Division, their publishing label for indie games. One was Roll7, the studio behind OlliOlli and Rollerdrome, as well as Intercept Games, the creators of Kerbal Space Program, who were actually working on part 2, which has been released in Early Access on Steam.
As the game director, Quinn Duffy, confirmed on LinkedIn, the studio will be closed on June 28, 2024. Despite this closure, a reddit user noticed that Kerbal Space Program 2 is still being sold in Early Access and is advertising future content.
Take Two is also behind Rockstar Games, who are currently working on GTA 6:
Currently, no one can continue development
How is Kerbal Space Program 2 being advertised? As the user Niklasgunner1 points out in a reddit thread, the game is still being sold on Steam for a full price of 50 Euros. It is still in Early Access and continues to advertise future content.
This includes new star systems as well as features like multiplayer. The issue is that as of June 28, 2024, there are currently no developers responsible for the game. In other words, according to the status quo, no work can be done on the content.
This also violates Steam’s rules, which explain in an Early Access FAQ that if an Early Access game cannot be completed, it must be released normally. If the game is not playable, it must be removed.
Another user notes that the game has now also appeared in the Humble Store. While it does not advertise specific future plans, it still promotes major updates
.
Even if there were a new development studio for the game, many reddit users doubt that they could fix the broken game. ToothlessFTW simply states: There is no way a second development team is coming in to fix this.
What is the status of the game? Already at release, Kerbal Space Program 2 struggled with technical issues. Buyers were dissatisfied with the game. Currently, the title has Mixed
reviews from users on Steam, and in the recent reviews, it even stands at Extremely Negative
.
The most common criticism is that the game is unfinished, and with the closure of the developer, hopes for improvement have been in vain. Another criticism is the high price for a title in Early Access. Apparently, a German studio is also facing closure: Gamers discuss the end of a legendary studio: “Could have been the German Witcher”
