By Sagar V. Mankar 
Former employees of Annapurna Interactive are reportedly preparing to take control of Private Division’s game portfolio through a newly formed company.
Private Division was founded by Take-Two in 2017 to support smaller, independent games. Over the years, it published popular titles such as The Outer Worlds, OlliOlli World, and Kerbal Space Program 2. Despite its promising lineup, sales often fell short of expectations, prompting Take-Two to gradually shut down operations before selling the label to Haveli Investments in late 2024.
But now, as per Bloomberg reports, the unnamed company formed by these ex-Annapurna staff members will assume control of several notable titles as part of a deal involving Haveli Investments.
According to reports, the portfolio includes well-known franchises like Kerbal Space Program, as well as upcoming titles like Tales of the Shire, scheduled for release on March 25, and Project Bloom, a AAA action-adventure game by Game Freak.
However, the transition has some difficult news for the current staff. According to Bloomberg, the roughly 20 Private Division employees who stayed with the label after Take-Two’s spring layoffs have been advised to explore other employment opportunities. While the exact number hasn’t been confirmed, at least some of these positions are expected to be eliminated as part of the new arrangement.
Talks about the former Annapurna Interactive, the mass departure of their publishing team occurred following a leadership dispute last fall. The situation arose when staff discovered that co-founder Hector Sanchez had been quietly rehired as president of interactive and new media by Annapurna Pictures CEO Megan Ellison, reportedly working on gaming projects without the knowledge of the interactive team.
Looking Forward
This reorganization represents a significant shift in indie gaming as the expertise of the former Annapurna Interactive team, combined with Private Division’s established portfolio, could create a powerful new force in independent game publishing. However, the immediate challenge will be managing the transition while minimizing disruption to ongoing projects, particularly high-profile releases like Tales of the Shire and Project Bloom.
Sources: Bloomberg