Bloomberg: Ex-Annapurna Interactive staff to take over Private Division portfolio

Former staff members of Annapurna Interactive, who left the publisher in September 2024, will take over the portfolio of the formerly Take-Two Interactive Software-owned Private Division label, which Take-Two Interactive Software said it sold off to an undisclosed buyer back in November 2024, according to a Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the deal.

The buyer that Take-Two Interactive Software refused to disclose is reportedly the Austin-based private equity firm Haveli Investments. Haveli Investments is said to have struck a deal with the ex-Annapurna Interactive staff to fund the new company and place them in charge of distributing former Private Division titles. Around 20 Private Division staff reportedly came along with the purchase, but some will be laid off as part of the new arrangement, with current leadership telling employees to explore their options due to the uncertainty.

The new company, which does not yet have a name, will inherit Private Division’s games and franchises, including the upcoming Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game, the Kerbal Space Program series, and the Game Freak-developed “Project Bloom.” As previously disclosed, No Rest for the Wicked will remain under Take-Two Interactive Software.