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Private Division and Intercept Games just announced today that Kerbal Space Program 2 will finally enter into Early Access on February 24, 2023. This Early Access release will be made available for PC on Steam, Epic Games Store, and "other digital storefronts."
As part of this planned Early Access release, players will be able to contribute feedback to the development team on things that might suck, things that are broken, and things that they may want to see added to the game. The Early Access launch will include the following features for players to test drive:
- 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 have over 350 new and improved parts including engines, fuel tanks, 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.
- 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.
- 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, map iconography, and atmosphere indicators take the guesswork out of interplanetary maneuvering!
- 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!
- Next-Generation Technology: Players will unlock future technologies, allowing them to build at larger scales and use new fuels or propulsion systems. These capabilities will enable players to venture beyond the limits of the original Kerbolar System and into unexplored star systems.
- Colonies: A highly requested and anticipated feature for the sequel, players will be able to locate and extract valuable resources, then use those materials to build custom bases on distant celestial bodies or in deep space. Players will need to add power generation, habitation, and vehicle assembly models to colonies, and then can use it as a low-gravity launch complex from which to embark on more ambitious journeys!
- Interstellar Travel: KSP2 presents players with the challenge of interstellar navigation. They must venture across the gulf of interstellar space inside fusion-powered megaships capable of incredible speeds. Upon arrival at new star systems, they will be able to deploy landers and rovers to explore the planets waiting to be discovered.
- Multiplayer: Players will be able to both cooperate and compete with friends to explore space together and achieve historic milestones in their own space race. Multiplayer unlocks endless potential for adventures, completists, and “unexpected†vehicle collisions!
- Modding: Kerbal fans are keen to share the plethora of mods available for the original game, and Intercept Games plans to make the sequel even more mod-friendly by releasing additional developments aimed to support the modding community.
- And more: There will be plenty of quality-of-life improvements, bug fixes, features, and more as the game develops in Early Access, so stay tuned for updates!
The Early Access release will launch on PC for $49.99 (USD). A PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S release is coming after the PC Early Access period is over. With how much is set to be included in the Early Access phase, there's no word on just what the "final" launch will look like.
Built from the ground up, Kerbal Space Program 2 will teach the joy of accidentally learning rocket science to a new generation of players while providing unique challenges and innovative capabilities to seasoned Kerbal veterans. Fully-interactive animated tutorials will reveal the secrets of rocketry, while a revamped vehicle assembly interface combines ease of use and powerful new vehicle creation tools. The sequel will feature massive user experience improvements ranging from enhanced map and maneuver iconography to an all-new flight HUD. The time warp system not only includes more zoom levels, but it will also allow the player to pause time while interacting with controls. For long distance flights, players can now use time warp while accelerating, to remove long waits during interplanetary travel. Finally, improved contextual information will give players a better idea how to respond to unexpected vehicle failures.
