Last year saw the entire Annapurna Interactive workforce resign following a dispute with owner Megan Ellison. Four months on, Bloomberg has reported that the former staff members have formed a new company and have picked up the entire Private Division portfolio (thanks, GamesIndustry.biz).
The as-yet-unnamed company reportedly acquired all games under the Private Division label from the Texas-based firm Haveli Investments — the presumed “undisclosed buyer” after Take-Two sold the studio last year, claiming it was focusing on growing its “core businesses for the long term”. While no specifics have been given at this time, Bloomberg reports that the new company’s buyout will likely result in studio layoffs for the 20 employees who joined Private Division under Haveli.
All this means that the new company will hold the rights to the Kerbal Space Program and OlliOlli franchises — both development studios were shut down last year — and the distribution rights to the likes of Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game and Game Freak’s upcoming action-adventure game, ‘Project Bloom’.
Annapurna Interactive owner Megan Ellison released a statement after last year’s walkout, claiming that the company’s top priority was “continuing to support our developer and publishing partners during this transition”. The studio — which has brought the likes of Outer Wilds, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes and Stray to Switch in recent years — has since undertaken a hiring drive in an attempt to fill the absent positions.
Last year saw the entire Annapurna Interactive workforce resign following a dispute with owner Megan Ellison. Four months on, Bloomberg has reported that the former staff members have formed a new company and have picked up the entire Private Division portfolio (thanks, GamesIndustry.biz).
The as-yet-unnamed company reportedly acquired all games under the Private Division label from the Texas-based firm Haveli Investments — the presumed "undisclosed buyer" after Take-Two sold the studio last year, claiming it was focusing on growing its "core businesses for the long term". While no specifics have been given at this time, Bloomberg reports that the new company's buyout will likely result in studio layoffs for the 20 employees who joined Private Division under Haveli.
All this means that the new company will hold the rights to the Kerbal Space Program and OlliOlli franchises — both development studios were shut down last year — and the distribution rights to the likes of Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game and Game Freak's upcoming action-adventure game, 'Project Bloom'.
Annapurna Interactive owner Megan Ellison released a statement after last year's walkout, claiming that the company's top priority was "continuing to support our developer and publishing partners during this transition". The studio — which has brought the likes of Outer Wilds, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes and Stray to Switch in recent years — has since undertaken a hiring drive in an attempt to fill the absent positions.
