Private Division surprise announced Kerbal Space Program 2 during gamescom last year with an unspecified 2020 release window. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused some complications, and it was announced today that the much-awaited sequel is now planned to land in fall 2021.
"With everything going on in the world due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we’re facing many unique challenges that require more time to safely iterate, create, test, and make Kerbal Space Program 2 as great as it can be," said the development team in a Twitter post today. "We understand this isn’t the news you were hoping to see, but ultimately we need to make the best decision for the development of Kerbal Space Program 2."
Private Division, the game"s publisher, revealed during the original announcement that Star Theory is handling the development duties of the sequel with support from the original title"s developer Squad. The physics-based space simulation title will be bringing multiplayer support, colony construction, interstellar travel, and much more as new features. Modding support will remain a key pillar too.
While the delay is a rather large one, space simulation fans should know that the original Kerbal Space Program is still receiving updates. Just a few days ago, the developer teamed up with the European Space Agency (ESA) to unveil the Shared Horizons free update. Arriving on June 1, the update will deliver the Ariane 5 rocket, the Rosetta and BepiColombo iconic missions from ESA as in-game challenges, ESA spacesuits, and more to the title.