Kerbal Space Program 2 has been delayed due to complications caused by the coronavirus.
“We are making a big, expansive game loaded with new features, but doing so will take longer than we previously anticipated,” says the Kerbal Space Program 2 development team via Twitter. “With everything going on in the world today due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we’re facing many unique challenges that require more time to safely iterate, create, test, and make KSP2 as great as it can be.”
As it stands, the plan now is to release Kerbal Space Program 2 sometime in the Fall of 2021. That represents a fairly significant delay for this game, as it was originally expected to launch sometime in 2020 or early 2021. It’s currently still expected to only be available for PC whenever it does finally launch.
The appropriately named Kerbal Space Program 2 was originally revealed at Gamescom 2019 via a cinematic trailer that showcased the game’s more epic side. Details about the sequel are sparse at this time, so we can only really speculate regarding the finer points of the experience.
However, we do know that studio Squad is not returning to develop this sequel. Instead, it will be handled by Star Theory Games. Still, you should probably expect it to follow roughly the same gameplay formula featured in the 2011 original. That is to say that the game will likely see you build rockets in order to try to reach the moon and well-beyond. Those who experienced the first game will be able to tell you that building the perfect rocket is a trial and error process that usually results in hilarious failures.
Given that it’s been quite some time since the original Kerbal was released, though, it seems safe to say that this sequel will introduce some currently unknown new elements to the mix as well. We already know that those new elements will include a welcome multiplayer mode as well as a more organically implemented tutorial option, but many of the new concepts this sequel will theoretically introduce remain a mystery
We’re especially intrigued by the promise of those new concepts given that the original Kerbal proved to be one of the most unique and enjoyable experiences in fairly recent gaming history. Kerbal invokes the fun of sandbox creative titles like Minecraft but adds a surprising level of difficulty to the formula that keeps you coming back in order to see if you have what it takes to do a little better.