Kerbal Space Program 2 Release into Early Access Feb 24th

[Intercept Games]

Kerbonauts, we’re excited to announce that Kerbal Space Program 2 will be releasing in Early Access on February 24th, 2023, for an Early Access price of $49.99. The game will be available on PC only during Early Access, on the KSP website, Steam and Epic Games Store. Check out the in-depth Feature Video on the announcement here https://youtu.be/XAL3XaP-LyE.

Kerbal Space Program 2 has been fully redesigned from the ground up to meet the demands of modern and next-generation space exploration, all while maintaining the monumental foundations of the first game. Construct powerful spacecraft and navigate expansive celestial bodies as you explore cosmic mysteries. Releasing in Early Access, KSP 2 will allow players to see features as they are released and provide feedback to shape this exciting game through development.  New features will periodically be added through Early Access that will captivate veteran and returning players, as well as usher in a whole new wave of Kerbonauts to the ingenious and comedic world that has entertained millions.  

Key Features:

• Major upgrades during Early Access: Get a front-row seat as major new systems come online, including the addition of new star systems, interstellar travel technologies, colonies, multiplayer, and more. Become part of the development process by contributing feedback throughout the Early Access period and be the first to play exciting updates as they are released. 
• Improved onboarding: Kerbal Space Program 2 will create a whole new generation of spaceflight experts who will find themselves accidentally learning the fundamentals of rocket science. New animated tutorials, improved UI, and fully revamped assembly and flight interfaces allow both experienced and novice players to quickly put their creativity to the test without sacrificing any of the challenge from the original game. 
• Customizable parts and new space-flight technology: In Kerbal Space Program 2, the astoundingly inventive creations that KSP is known for will be taken to a whole new level. Players will be delighted and challenged by a new generation of engines, parts, fuel, procedural parts systems, and much more. The overhauled vehicle assembly interface includes part sorting and a blueprint view for making precise adjustments. And of course, new part coloring allows you to customize your creations like never before.
• Rich new environments to explore: Unprecedented detail, variety, and realism make each celestial body a rewarding destination. Clouds, atmospheric scattering, and an all-new terrain system combine to take your breath away, from ground level all the way to orbit!
• New tools to optimize your exploration of the universe: Along with other massive new UI/UX improvements, you can now use time warp while accelerating and plan complex maneuvers with ease using the new non-impulsive maneuver planner. New sphere of influence and atmosphere indicators take the guesswork out of interplanetary maneuvering!

Key Features to come during Early Access:

• Next Generation Technology: As the game updates progress, players will gain access to a whole new set of next generation tools and technology including new engines, parts, fuel, and much more. This new tech will not just create novel puzzles for players to solve, but will also enable new feats of space exploration within and beyond the original Kerbolar System.
• Colonies: Brand new to Kerbal Space Program 2 are colonies.  Colonies not only pose their own physics challenges, but also require resource gathering to build structures, space stations, habitations, and unique fuel types. Eventually, these colonies become advanced enough for vehicle construction, propelling deep space exploration and beyond. 
• Interstellar Travel: Next-gen tech, colonies, and systematic resource gathering all lead to a whole new level of exploration: interstellar travel. In Kerbal Space Program 2, interstellar technologies pave the way to a host of new star systems and celestial bodies, each comprising novel challenges and harboring secret treasures. Among them: Charr, a heat-blasted world of iron; Ovin, a ringed super-Earth with relentless gravity; Rask and Rusk, a binary pair locked in a dance of death; and many more to reward exploration.
• Multiplayer: It’s KSP2…but with more chaos, competition, or cooperation -- depending on your friends. Players should expect some hilarious and exciting moments as KSP2 will allow you to tackle challenges against or with other players. 
• Modding: We expect modders to dig into KSP2 on day one. We recognize that the modding community has played a big role in the longevity of KSP, and we continue to be impressed by the mods that are released. The team aims to ensure that over the course of Early Access, the sequel is even more mod-friendly and release updates aimed to support the modding community. Additionally, the team will be collecting feedback and analyzing how to continue to improve modding support with the community.

 

*Based on Private Division’s suggested retail price. Actual retail price may differ. See local platform store for pricing and terms

FAQs

Why Early Access?

More than anything else, we cannot wait for players to build, fly, crash, and fly again! The core pillar of KSP2 is building and flying cool rockets. While we have additional features planned like colonies, interstellar travel, and multiplayer, we first want to hear back from players about the core fundamental experience. We believe that going through early access for KSP2 will ultimately allow us to build a better game through a supportive dialogue with our community.

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

Initial release of Early Access will include: Remodeled and visually updated Kerbolar system with celestial secrets to uncover Hundreds of new and improved parts including engines, procedural wings, and more                            Customize your vehicles with creative paint jobs Improved experience for new and returning players Animated Tutorials Improved User Interface Upgraded Map View Fully revamped assembly & flight interfaces More for players to discover (we don’t want to spoil everything)

Why aren’t the features we’ve been hearing about included in the day 1 launch version of Early Access?

Colonies, interstellar travel, and multiplayer, along with other to-be-revealed features, are all under active development. We will release these features once each meets both our standards as well as those of the community. It is also critical to us that the core of KSP 2 is first made as great as it can be for new and returning players alike, with help from your feedback in Early Access.

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

Your feedback will be crucial in helping to make KSP 2 the best it can be, and we want to hear about everything that is important to you. Are the tutorials effective and are there enough of them? Have the user interface changes made a meaningful impact? Is the localization accurate? Most importantly, we want players to play for thousands of hours. What will keep you playing? During Early Access there will be a form on the KSP website to submit detailed feedback. It can also be accessed from the game’s launcher and the Steam page. You can follow the development progress through our various social channels: the KSP subreddit, the official KSP forums, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook.

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

Yes, KSP 2 will sell for $49.99 (SRP) during Early Access, and we expect that the price will be raised at 1.0 release

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

KSP 2 will stay in Early Access until we feel that the game and its full feature set are at our desired level of quality. Check out our roadmap above for our planned feature releases and make sure to follow our social channels for further information on timing of updates.

When will the console version be released?

KSP2 is a complex game and we believe that to provide the best possible console experience for our players it requires the latest consoles hardware. So we will only currently be releasing on PS5 and Xbox X|S for the console versions. For the Xbox Series X|S and PS5 versions of the game to complete development, content from the PC version must first be completed. Console versions will come out as soon as possible after the completion of the Early Access period. This also means that the console versions will benefit from many of the improvements applied over the course of Early Access.

Will there be mods during early access?

We expect modders to dig into KSP2 on day one. We recognize that the modding community has played a big role in the longevity of KSP, and we continue to be impressed by the mods that are released. The intent with KSP 2 is to improve the modding experience even further, and we look forward to hearing feedback from modders over the course of early access.

Will Mac or Linux versions come out in Early Access?

These versions are part of our extended roadmap. We’ll share more information at a later date.

Will the game be optimized for Steam Deck?

KSP 2 will not have official Steam Deck optimization, but we will closely monitor player feedback for how this may be supported in the future.

Can I play KSP 2 offline?

Yes

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

The 1.0 version of KSP 2 will include significantly more features than the Early Access version, such as what you see on the roadmap plus other items added along the way. This includes: ·       More parts and the opportunity for more creative builds ·       More star systems and hidden anomalies ·       Improved quality of life and onboarding to open up the vast beauty of space to even more players ·       Continued performance improvements and visual updates We can’t wait for you to join us on this journey into the stars!

Edited October 21, 2022 by Ghostii_Space
Edited message about the console FAQ.

[RealKerbal3x]

My ability to type coherent thoughts has been lost entirely aaaAAA

[tajwo]

Wow

[Guest]

I think you have sucessfully broken every single ksp player in existence with this one post

[Gargamel]

Yay!    

[Vl3d]

This is a lot to unpack. I am happy!

PS - please read this:

 

Edited October 21, 2022 by Vl3d
shameless wish-list promo

[Wubslin]

Holy cow, we have a release date

[WelshSteW]

 

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

 

[snkiz]

WhooHOO!!! Yay KErbal!

[The Aziz]

Not that I like the concept of early access very much (because, very often, there ain't much to do in such games and by the time there's a 1.0, the players have pretty much played all of it, over and over again), nor I feel like "an homage to ksp1" is a good reason, but I'm glad it's finally coming. Guess a relatively small team working on such ambitious game means what happened here. Two Februaries with great releases in a row, nice.

Edited October 21, 2022 by The Aziz

[jimmymcgoochie]

Whaaaaaaaaaaa-

The application has stopped responding. The program may respond again if you wait.

[Zaffre]

Great! From the footage shown it's definitely lost that early alpha look. Nothing overly shiny or dull. Multiplayer is still coming, yahoo! That said...

Nothing was shown of interstellar or what would be mid to late-game activity but short cuts of what we've already seen. Coupling that with the mention of the 'core game coming first' doesn't give me too terribly much confidence there. I know plenty of studios these days have significantly reduced or even given up closed QC/QA testing but that doesn't mean they should. $50 is quite a lot for an EA KSP 1-but-remade and with all of this time that they've had and the footage that's already been shown that erodes some of my confidence.

Other than that... I'm SO happy we got a release date! KSP 1 constantly pushed my buttons and it's been a while since I've touched it. KSP 2 is the reason why I'm still hanging around. I hope it turns out great.

[memphis_mg]

i am still very skeptical why you want to put ressorucen and time into a "mp" part.

usually it is so 2 rockets launch (if you can play side by side in one session) one flies right the other left and then you never see each other again in the vastness of space.

only so that I see on a map possibly somewhere a marker or point where the other is?

ksp should be for your own head creativity and experimentation that has not hurt part 1 nud part 2 either.

i just don't see the advantages this part should bring/create to the game especially if you put that against the time and effort to implement a system that should ensure timewarps, resource management of multiple clients and other accounting stuff in mp for the fact that you might NEVER see each other again after launch.

Edited October 21, 2022 by memphis_mg

[ndiver]

Fantastic news!

Can you already shared expected computer configurations needed for it?

[memphis_mg]

6 minutes ago, Zaffre said:

Great! From the footage shown it's definitely lost that early alpha look. Nothing overly shiny or dull. Multiplayer is still coming, yahoo! That said...

Nothing was shown of interstellar or what would be mid to late-game activity but short cuts of what we've already seen. Coupling that with the mention of the 'core game coming first' doesn't give me too terribly much confidence there. I know plenty of studios these days have significantly reduced or even given up closed QC/QA testing but that doesn't mean they should. $50 is quite a lot for an EA KSP 1-but-remade and with all of this time that they've had and the footage that's already been shown that erodes some of my confidence.

Other than that... I'm SO happy we got a release date! KSP 1 constantly pushed my buttons and it's been a while since I've touched it. KSP 2 is the reason why I'm still hanging around. I hope it turns out great.

yes see the same!

for an EA title the price is quite expensive.

EA should be in balance between we give you something to "play" vs. discount because you test something "unfinished" (and help due to bug reports and feedback to improve the game to the FINAL 1.0 version).

Or trust advance depending on how you want to see it.

Otherwise, of course, I'm glad that after all the waiting it finally goes off!

[danfarnsy]

I'll be playing. But, jeez, that's a lot of features not even ready for Early Access by February. Pick up the pace!

[The Aziz]

3 minutes ago, memphis_mg said:

the fact that you might NEVER see each other again after launch.

Players interactions? Docking to each other's stations? Landing on colonies of a friend? Resource trading?

[Maria Sirona]

WOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! TRULY EPIC AND AWESOME LESGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

 

Now on to constructive criticism, i think 24/2 is a very inappropriate date considering certain events.

[Vl3d]

Let me buy it now!

[Pthigrivi]

AHHHHHHHH So great. Im sure some folks will be anxious about not being feature complete day one but this is like Christmas morning for me. That whole community feedback process was so crucial to the way Squad developed KSP1 and its so smart to see them handle it this way. Thanks yall <3

 

[joratto]

I'm over the mun with joy that I get to actually play KSP2 in the remarkably near future, even though I'm disappointed that the major differences in game mechanics that I was looking forward to (colonies, orbital assembly, advanced resource management, automated trade routes, multiplayer, etc.) won't be there to make this game feel truly different compared to the original.

From the way they're selling it, I'd be shocked if roadmap-completion came about before 2024, but a No Man's Sky -style update schedule isn't that bad.

[MARL_Mk1]

EARLY ACCESS IS THE RIGHT WAY.

Hear me out.

Ever since KSP1 came out, I always observed how the community input was key to shape and build it's core features, just to get it where it is now.

KSP2 is a whole rebuild of KSP1+, it NEEDS to have absolute complete feature parity with KSP1 in every single department. The second the first trailer dropped, I was sure Early Access would be the way to go.

Don't be demoralized thinking about those titles that gave Early Access the reputation we all know. It all comes down to how competent a dev team is when releasing a game in Early Access to involve the community in a decade-long project with such a big reputation to uphold, unlike other games that release in Early Access with barely any content besides the main menu.

We are given the opportunity to shape the game FOR US. Be happy KSP2 continues that close relationship down to it's very foundations

[tajwo]

8 minutes ago, Maria Sirona said:

24/2 is a very inappropriate date considering certain events.

I didn't realize it at first but then it hit me like a truck after reading your comment

Edited October 21, 2022 by tajwo

[memphis_mg]

edit:

especially the first 5min so often say how very "with community"/feedback/co-develop but directly 50doller for the "first" version is already cheeky I say as it is. 35 and off we go. The more you get right at the beginning in the boat the better it is to address the "broad" mass and gain data

[Vl3d]

Just now, MARL_Mk1 said:

EARLY ACCESS IS THE RIGHT WAY.

Of course it is - feedback from players and modders made the first game what it is. It's a community effort.