Kerbal Space Program 2 Staff Layoffs Set for June Amid Conflicting Studio Closure Reports

Intercept Games, the developer behind Kerbal Space Program 2, is set to lay off its staff by the end of June, a senior team manager confirmed. This move comes amidst conflicting reports about the closure of the studio, with Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick denying earlier assertions of a shutdown.

Closure Reports Spark Confusion

Earlier this month, news of Intercept Games' impending closure surfaced when Take-Two Interactive filed an official closure notice in Washington state. This notice, which indicated the loss of 70 jobs, was further confirmed by affected employees on social media. Additionally, Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier reported on the closure of Roll7, another studio under Take-Two Interactive, based on an internal email.

Despite these reports, Take-Two's CEO, Strauss Zelnick, has repeatedly denied the closure, stating, "We didn't shutter those studios." However, this assertion has not been well-received by Intercept Games employees.

Employee Confirmation and Community Response

Quinn Duffy, senior design manager at Kerbal Space Program 2, announced on LinkedIn that the Intercept team will indeed be laid off by June 28. He praised his colleagues, emphasizing their talent and professionalism.

Meanwhile, the lack of clarity from Take-Two Interactive has led to frustration among gamers who have purchased the game during its early access phase. The game's Steam rating has plummeted to "Overwhelmingly Negative" as a result of Intercept's reported closure and the publisher's silence.

This announcement follows Take-Two Interactive's recent decision to lay off five percent of its workforce and cancel multiple projects, despite previous assurances from Zelnick that there were no plans for staff layoffs.