Ex-Annapurna Interactive Team Members Form New Company, Acquire Private Division's Portfolio

According to recent reports, a group of former Annapurna Interactive employees have established a new company and acquired the portfolio of independent label Private Division. The acquisition reportedly includes popular franchises such as Kerbal Space Program, which was purchased from Haveli Investments, a private equity firm based in Austin, Texas. Haveli Investments had previously acquired Private Division from Take-Two at the end of last year. The new company will also take over distribution rights for an upcoming, unannounced title from Game Freak, as well as the Lord of the Rings farming game, Tales of the Shire, which is set to release in March. However, the buyout is expected to result in layoffs among the approximately 20 Private Division staff members who joined Haveli, although the exact number of affected employees is currently unclear. This development comes after the majority of the Annapurna Interactive team left the company in September following the collapse of negotiations with its parent company. The team's departure was reportedly triggered by the discovery that Annapurna Interactive co-founder Hector Sanchez had been rehired as president of interactive and new media by Annapurna Pictures CEO Megan Ellison, without the knowledge of the rest of the Interactive staff. This move had left the team feeling confused, concerned, and frustrated with the company's direction. Take-Two had previously sold Private Division in November 2024 as part of its plans to focus on AAA and mobile game development.