Former Annapurna Employees Are Running New Publisher Fictions

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It appears that a new company called Fictions, which some believe is led by former staff from Annapurna Interactive who left in September, has taken over the role previously held by Take-Two Interactive’s indie publishing label Private Division. This was noticed by users on the ResetEra forums, as they found out that Fictions will be publishing Game Freak’s Beast of Reincarnation game.

It appears that the new publishing company primarily consists of ex-employees from Annapurna Interactive, as well as a handful of individuals who previously worked at Private Division. Jason Schrier from Bloomberg has also shared his insights, indicating that the majority of the staff at this new publisher are former employees of Annapurna Interactive.

Right now, Fictions has both “Beast of Reincarnation” and “LEGO Party” listed among its upcoming publications. “Beast of Reincarnation,” which was first revealed in June with a trailer, is being developed by Game Freak, known for creating the popular Pokemon series. The game’s narrative will explore the clash between the emergence of life and technological advancement. It is scheduled to launch on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S in the year 2026.

Back in January, rumors surfaced that former Annapurna Interactive employees aimed to acquire control over Private Division, which Take-Two Interactive was considering selling initially. It was thought that Texas-based Haveli Investments had bought Private Division, and subsequently brought on ex-Annapurna staff members to manage the publishing label.

Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two Interactive, described the sale of Private Division to Haveli Investment as a strategic move aimed at channeling more resources into upcoming projects. He also hinted that the company’s primary focus lies within the AAA market rather than the independent gaming scene.

In November, Zelnick stated that this strategic move allows us to channel all our efforts into expanding our primary and mobile ventures for long-term success. Our strength lies in delivering top-tier gaming experiences (AAA games). We possess some of the most significant intellectual properties in the interactive entertainment industry and a substantial portion in the overall entertainment industry. Our goal is to create sequels for established franchises that fans adore, as well as launch new intellectual properties that become hits.

Since its establishment in 2017, Private Division has published a number of games, one of which is Obsidian’s RPG “The Outer Worlds.” They’ve also assisted in the release of other indie titles like “OlliOlli World” and “Rollerdrome,” as well as “Kerbal Space Program 2.” However, the follow-up to the space program simulator game “Kerbal Space Program,” which was initially published by them, has largely been set aside.

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2025-07-09 16:11