Ex-Annapurna Team Assumes Control of Private Division Portfolio

A fresh contender has emerged in the gaming industry, launched by ex-employees of Annapurna Interactive, and is set to oversee Private Division’s future projects.

According to Bloomberg, this new yet-to-be-named initiative will be taking over the duties previously managed by Take-Two Interactive’s Private Division. The major entertainment company, best known for Grand Theft Auto, had quietly sold off its Private Division segment to an undisclosed party for an unnamed amount. Behind the scenes, it turns out that Haveli Investments, a private equity firm, was the buyer. Some of you might recall Haveli from their acquisition of Jagex, the creators of RuneScape, in 2024. Financial details of this recent transaction haven’t been revealed yet. Interestingly, Haveli has taken on about 20 of Private Division’s previous employees, but unfortunately, some cuts have been made as well.

Haveli is the main financial backer of this new company, entrusting them with not only past Private Division successes like Kerbal Space Program but also with future titles, including the much-anticipated The Lord of the Rings farming sim, Tales of the Shire. Additionally, a new project is underway with Game Freak, the masterminds behind Pokémon.

This development comes in the wake of the Annapurna Interactive team’s collective departure in 2024. It was last November when Take-Two publicized the sale of Private Division.