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Fictions, Inc.
FormerlyVero Interactive, Inc.
TypePrivate
IndustryVideo game industry
PredecessorPrivate Division (publishing business)
IncorporatedNovember 6, 2024 (2024-11-06)
Founded2025; 1 year ago (2025)
Headquarters
Los Angeles, California
,
United States
Key people
  • Nathan Gary (Chief Executive Officer)[1]
  • Deborah Mars (Co-Head)[2]
  • Paul Hanson (Chief Financial Officer)[1]
  • Ophir Lupu (Director)[3]
  • Thomas Vu (Director)[3]
ProductsVideo games
ServicesVideo game publishing and development
OwnerHaveli Investments (reported owner; equity stake undisclosed)[4][5]
Websitefictions.com

Fictions, Inc. (successor to the publishing business of Private Division; formerly Vero Interactive, Inc.) is an American privately held video game publisher and developer headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 2025, the company took over the publishing catalogue and a number of existing and unreleased projects previously managed by Private Division, a publishing label established by Take-Two Interactive in 2017. Take-Two sold Private Division in October 2024, and Fictions subsequently became the publishing home for titles previously signed under the label.[6][7][8]

Fictions is a separate corporate entity from the original Private Division publishing label. Its legal entity was incorporated in Delaware in November 2024 under the name Vero Interactive, Inc., and changed its name to Fictions, Inc. in February 2025. Fictions therefore succeeded Private Division's publishing business and catalogue, but Private Division was not the former legal name of Fictions. The company itself describes its foundation as having taken place in 2025.[3][9][1]

History

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Private Division (2017–2024)

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Establishment and initial publishing slate

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Private Division was established by Take-Two Interactive on December 14, 2017, as a publishing label dedicated to working with independent video game developers. It was intended to support studios making games with budgets and production ambitions between large-scale productions by major publishers and smaller independent releases. Its business model involved financing and publishing games developed by external studios, while providing production, marketing and distribution support.[10][11]

The label's initial publishing slate included Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey from Panache Digital Games, Project Wight from Swedish studio The Outsiders, an unannounced role-playing game from Obsidian Entertainment that became The Outer Worlds, and an unannounced science-fiction first-person shooter from V1 Interactive that became Disintegration. Private Division also became involved in the publishing of Kerbal Space Program, the space-flight simulation game originally created by Mexican developer Squad, whose franchise Take-Two had acquired in 2017.[10][11]

The publishing agreement between Private Division and The Outsiders ended in 2018. The studio's project, initially announced as Project Wight and subsequently renamed Darkborn, continued development under a different publishing arrangement. Private Division stated that it had provided financial support to the studio for several months after ending the agreement.[12][13]

Kerbal Space Program 2 and the formation of Intercept Games

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In 2019, Private Division's publishing agreement with Star Theory Games for Kerbal Space Program 2 was terminated. Star Theory had originally been contracted to develop the sequel. Reports published in 2020 described disagreements surrounding Take-Two's attempts to acquire the studio and its subsequent recruitment of a number of Star Theory employees.[14]

In February 2020, Take-Two established a new internal development studio, Intercept Games, in Seattle to continue work on Kerbal Space Program 2. The studio included former Star Theory employees and took over development of the game following the end of the original publishing arrangement. Intercept Games was a Take-Two development studio, rather than an independent external developer like many of Private Division's publishing partners.[15][14]

Publishing partnerships and Roll7 acquisition

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In July 2020, Private Division announced publishing agreements with Moon Studios, League of Geeks and Roll7. The agreements covered upcoming projects from the three independent developers. Moon Studios was known for the Ori games, Roll7 for the OlliOlli series, and League of Geeks for Armello.[16]

In November 2021, Private Division acquired Roll7, the British development studio responsible for OlliOlli, OlliOlli World and Rollerdrome. The acquisition made Roll7 an internal studio associated with the label, rather than simply an external publishing partner.[17]

League of Geeks later announced that it was putting its studio into hibernation in June 2024, citing the economic conditions facing the video game industry. The studio's publishing agreement with Private Division had not resulted in a released title being identified as part of the label's catalogue.[18]

Further publishing partnerships (2022–2023)

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In March 2022, Private Division announced four additional publishing agreements with independent developers Die Gute Fabrik, Evening Star, Piccolo Studio and Yellow Brick Games. The projects were in early development when the agreements were announced.[19]

Several of the studios subsequently released games that had been part of Private Division's publishing portfolio. Piccolo Studio developed After Us, which was released in May 2023. Evening Star developed Penny's Big Breakaway, released in February 2024. The other agreements did not all result in games published by Private Division: Yellow Brick Games later chose to self-publish its debut title, while Die Gute Fabrik announced that it was halting production in February 2024 after struggling to secure funding for its next project.[20][21][22][23]

In August 2022, Private Division announced a publishing partnership with Wētā Workshop for a game set in Middle-earth. The project was later revealed as Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game, a life-simulation game based on the world of The Lord of the Rings.[24]

Private Division also entered a publishing agreement with Polish developer Bloober Team in September 2021 for a survival horror game referred to as Project C. In May 2024, Bloober Team announced that the publishing and production agreement had been terminated. The studio said that it would continue working on the project and consider alternative arrangements. The project was not publicly identified in that announcement as Cronos: The New Dawn.[25]

In May 2023, Private Division announced a publishing partnership with Japanese developer Game Freak for a new action-adventure intellectual property codenamed Project Bloom. The project was later revealed as Beast of Reincarnation.[26]

Other releases during this period included Kerbal Space Program 2, which entered Early Access for Windows in February 2023, and After Us. Private Division was also affected by layoffs in March 2023 as part of Take-Two's cost-reduction programme.[27][28]

Sale and transition (2024–2025)

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Take-Two's sale of Private Division

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In May 2024, reports emerged that Take-Two planned to close its internal development studios Roll7 and Intercept Games as part of a company-wide cost-reduction programme. The closures affected two studios associated with Private Division's operations: Roll7, which had been acquired by the label in 2021, and Intercept Games, which had been established to develop Kerbal Space Program 2.[29][30]

Take-Two's 2025 annual report states that it sold Private Division in October 2024, including rights to substantially all of the label's released and unreleased titles. The transaction was publicly announced on November 6, 2024, when Take-Two said that the buyer would acquire most of the label's existing and in-development portfolio. The buyer and the financial terms were not disclosed in the announcement.[7][8]

The sale included publishing rights to projects such as Tales of the Shire and Game Freak's Project Bloom, as well as rights associated with the Kerbal Space Program series. Take-Two initially retained No Rest for the Wicked, developed by Moon Studios, which was excluded from the portfolio being transferred.[8]

Identification of Haveli Investments and the new management team

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In January 2025, The Verge reported, citing Bloomberg News, that the buyer of Private Division was Haveli Investments, a private-equity firm based in Austin, Texas. According to the report, Haveli had agreed to finance a new company involving former employees of Annapurna Interactive to manage the former Private Division publishing portfolio. The new company was expected to oversee released and in-development titles, including Tales of the Shire, the Kerbal Space Program series and Game Freak's Project Bloom.[5]

The arrangement followed the mass resignation of Annapurna Interactive employees in September 2024. The resignations occurred after negotiations to separate Annapurna's video game division from Annapurna Pictures and establish it as an independent company broke down. Former members of Annapurna Interactive subsequently became involved in the new publishing operation backed by Haveli.[31][5]

The January 2025 report also described uncertainty for some existing Private Division employees following the transaction, with some staff expected to move to the new operation and others potentially facing layoffs. The reported arrangement involved both the transfer of the publishing portfolio and the formation of a new company to manage it, rather than the simple renaming of the original Take-Two publishing label.[5]

In March 2025, Moon Studios announced that it had acquired the publishing rights to No Rest for the Wicked from Take-Two and was operating independently. The game had therefore remained outside the Private Division catalogue transferred in 2024 and subsequently returned to its developer's publishing control.[32]

Establishment of Fictions

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Fictions' corporate entity was incorporated in Delaware on November 6, 2024, under the name Vero Interactive, Inc. Bloomberg's Legal Entity Identifier database records November 6, 2024, as the entity's creation date and identifies Delaware as its jurisdiction of incorporation. The database lists the company's headquarters in Los Angeles, California.[9]

The company was registered to do business in California on November 11, 2024, under document number 6456947. The California business record identifies the company as a foreign stock corporation formed in Delaware. An amendment filed on February 21, 2025, changed the registered name from Vero Interactive, Inc. to Fictions, Inc. The Securities and Exchange Commission's Form D filing later identified Vero Interactive, Inc. as a previous name of Fictions, Inc.[1][3]

Fictions describes itself as a video game publisher and developer founded in 2025. Its website states that, at launch, the company acquired the Private Division catalogue while building a new slate of original projects. This description distinguishes the date on which the legal entity was created in 2024 from the beginning of its activities as a video game publisher under the Fictions name in 2025.[6]

The company was publicly introduced as a publisher on June 6, 2025, when the Lego Group, developer SMG Studio and Fictions announced LEGO Party! at Summer Game Fest. The Lego Group described Fictions as a new publisher founded by industry veterans and stated that the company had been established at the beginning of 2025 by a group of 27 people. The announcement also described Fictions as the publishing home for titles previously signed under Private Division and confirmed that it was supporting SMG Studio's development of LEGO Party!.[33]

The Lego Group also announced that the game would receive physical editions for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in partnership with iam8bit. LEGO Party! was released on September 30, 2025, becoming one of the first games released under Fictions' new publishing operation.[33][34]

Corporate structure and financing

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Ownership and relationship with Haveli Investments

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Fictions is a privately held company. Haveli Investments lists Fictions among the companies in its gaming portfolio. Haveli describes its gaming investment strategy as including both control and minority investments in video game developers and publishers operating in the PC, mobile and console markets.[4]

The identification of Haveli as the buyer of Private Division was initially reported in January 2025, citing sources familiar with the transaction. The report said that Haveli was financing the new company established to manage the former label's publishing portfolio. Haveli's own website subsequently listed Fictions as one of its gaming portfolio companies. The exact percentage of Fictions owned by Haveli, the identity of any other shareholders and the terms of the investment have not been publicly disclosed.[5][4]

Haveli's published investment strategy includes both majority and minority investments. Its listing of Fictions as a portfolio company therefore establishes the relationship between the two organisations, but does not, by itself, disclose the precise size or structure of Haveli's equity stake in Fictions.[4]

Corporate governance

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Fictions' December 2025 Form D filing identified five related persons at the company: Nathan Gary, Paul Hanson, Ophir Lupu, Thomas Vu and Deborah Mars. The filing designated Nathan Gary and Paul Hanson as executive officers and directors. It designated Ophir Lupu, Thomas Vu and Deborah Mars as directors.[3]

Nathan Gary is identified as Chief Executive Officer in California business records. The same records list Paul Hanson as Chief Financial Officer. In the December 2025 SEC filing, however, Hanson signed as Chief Operating Officer. The difference reflects the titles recorded in two separate documents and should not be treated as evidence that the two positions are interchangeable.[1][3]

Deborah Mars is identified as Co-Head of Fictions by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. She was previously Co-Head of Annapurna Interactive and became involved in the new publishing operation established after the Private Division transaction.[2][31][5]

Ophir Lupu is identified as a director of Fictions in the SEC filing and as a senior managing director of Haveli Investments in the firm's team information. Thomas Vu is also identified as a director of Fictions in the Form D filing. The document establishes their director relationships with the company but does not provide a full description of their day-to-day responsibilities at Fictions.[3][35]

Private Division LLC and intellectual property

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Private Division LLC

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A separate legal entity named Private Division LLC appears in California business records. The company is listed as a Delaware limited liability company registered to do business in California on March 31, 2025, under document number B20250053292. Its California business-record listing identifies Fictions, Inc. as its manager and Nathan Gary as its Chief Executive Officer.[36]

The existence of Private Division LLC is significant because the Private Division name continued to be used by a separate legal entity after Take-Two's sale of the publishing label. The California business listing identifies Fictions as the LLC's manager, but does not disclose the LLC's members or establish the percentage of its ownership held by Fictions. A manager listing and a record of membership ownership are not the same thing.[36]

Games published and developed

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Fictions' publishing catalogue combines games inherited from Private Division with new projects announced after the company's establishment. Its involvement varies by title: it may publish a game developed by an independent studio, continue a project originally signed by Private Division, co-develop a title with another studio or handle the release of later platform editions. The tables below distinguish these roles rather than treating every listed developer as a subsidiary of Fictions.[6][37]

Selected releases under Private Division

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The following table lists selected games and franchise releases associated with Private Division during its period under Take-Two. It includes the label's own publishing projects as well as titles for which it handled a more limited publishing or retail-distribution role.

Year Title Developer(s) Publishing role and notes
2017 onward Kerbal Space Program Squad Take-Two acquired the franchise in 2017. Private Division subsequently managed publishing for the series and its related releases.
2018 Kerbal Space Program: Enhanced Edition Squad; BlitWorks Console edition released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
2019 Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey Panache Digital Games Published by Private Division for PC and consoles.[38]
2019 The Outer Worlds Obsidian Entertainment Published by Private Division.[39]
2020 Disintegration V1 Interactive Published by Private Division.
2021 Hades Supergiant Games Private Division handled physical retail publishing for the PlayStation and Xbox editions; Supergiant Games handled the game's digital publishing.[40]
2022 OlliOlli World Roll7 Published by Private Division. Roll7 had been acquired by the label in November 2021.[17]
2022 Rollerdrome Roll7 Published by Private Division.
2023 After Us Piccolo Studio Published by Private Division.[20]
2023 Kerbal Space Program 2 Star Theory Games (early development); Intercept Games Published by Private Division and released in Early Access for Windows in February 2023. Planned console editions were not released.[27]
2024 Penny's Big Breakaway Evening Star Published by Private Division.[21]

Take-Two's 2025 annual report confirmed the sale of Private Division and rights to substantially all of the label's titles in October 2024. The report is a corporate disclosure of the transaction and does not mean that every game listed above was developed by Private Division itself; most of the label's releases were created by external studios.[7]

Releases and projects under Fictions

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The following table lists selected titles published, co-developed, inherited or announced by Fictions. For projects first signed under Private Division, the table identifies their earlier history. For new projects, it distinguishes Fictions' publishing or co-development role from the work of the external development studio.

Year Title Developer Fictions' role and status
2025 Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game Wētā Workshop Publisher. The project was inherited from the Private Division catalogue and released on July 29, 2025.[41]
2025 LEGO Party! SMG Studio Publisher. Announced on June 6, 2025, and released on September 30, 2025, for PC and consoles. A physical release for selected consoles was announced in partnership with iam8bit.[33][34]
2026 Beast of Reincarnation (formerly Project Bloom) Game Freak Publisher. Originally announced as a Private Division project in May 2023 and later revealed under its final title. Released on August 4, 2026.[26][42]
2026 Unhinged Night School Studio Co-development partner. Released through Netflix on June 30, 2026. Fictions identifies itself as a co-development partner on the project.[43]
2026 Sword of the Sea (Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2 editions) Giant Squid Fictions' catalogue includes the later Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2 editions, which became available on October 29, 2026. The original PlayStation 5 and PC editions were released in August 2025.[44][45]
2026 (scheduled) Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey (new editions) Panache Digital Games Publisher of new PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2 editions, scheduled for release on December 8, 2026.[46][47]
2027 (scheduled) Armatus Counterplay Games Publisher. Scheduled for release on January 7, 2027, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC.[48]
2027 (planned) Everbloom Torbie Games Publisher. Fictions signed on as publisher across all platforms. The game is planned for release on PC and Nintendo Switch 2 in spring 2027.[49]

The Fictions catalogue also includes the earlier Private Division releases Kerbal Space Program, The Outer Worlds, OlliOlli World, Rollerdrome, After Us and other titles, as well as new games and projects announced after the company's establishment. The presence of a title in the catalogue does not necessarily mean that Fictions owns the developer or performed the original development work.[37][6]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Fictions, Inc. — California business entity record, document number 6456947". BizProfile, based on California Secretary of State records. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Deborah Mars". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Form D: Notice of Exempt Offering of Securities — Fictions, Inc". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. December 11, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Haveli Gaming". Haveli Investments. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Parrish, Ash (January 7, 2025). "Former Annapurna leads take charge of Take-Two's discarded indie games". The Verge. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "About Us". Fictions. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 2025 Annual Report (Form 10-K) (PDF) (Report). Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 Shakir, Umar (November 6, 2024). "Take-Two is selling its indie games label Private Division". The Verge. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  9. 1 2 "Fictions, Inc. — Legal Entity Identifier 98450004E2FECD1D7874". Bloomberg LEI. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  10. 1 2 "Take-Two Interactive Software Announces Formation of Private Division" (Press release). Take-Two Interactive. December 14, 2017. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  11. 1 2 Romano, Sal (December 14, 2017). "Take-Two establishes independent publishing label Private Division". Gematsu. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  12. ↑ Kerr, Chris (July 17, 2019). "Indie publisher Private Division splits from Swedish dev The Outsiders". Game Developer. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Take-Two's Indie Label Ends Publishing Deal For New Game From Battlefield Dev". GameSpot. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  14. 1 2 Schreier, Jason (June 3, 2020). "Game Publisher Cancels Contract With Developer, Then Tries to Poach Its Entire Team". Bloomberg News. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  15. ↑ Robinson, Andy (February 20, 2020). "Take-Two forms new studio for KSP2, with original developer's role unclear". Video Games Chronicle. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  16. ↑ Kerr, Chris (July 30, 2020). "Private Division signs publishing deals with Ori dev Moon Studios and others". Game Developer. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  17. 1 2 Kerr, Chris (November 15, 2021). "Private Division has acquired OlliOlli developer Roll7". Game Developer. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Gone Fishin'!". League of Geeks. June 12, 2024. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  19. ↑ Francis, Bryant (March 16, 2022). "Private Division signs publishing deals with four new game studios". Game Developer. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  20. 1 2 "After Us Now Available for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S" (Press release). Take-Two Interactive. May 23, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  21. 1 2 "Penny's Big Breakaway Is Out Now" (Press release). Take-Two Interactive. February 21, 2024. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  22. ↑ Carter, Justin (March 28, 2024). "Yellow Brick Games splits from Private Division to self-publish debut game". Game Developer. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  23. ↑ Ivan, Tom (February 26, 2024). "Saltsea Chronicles studio Die Gute Fabrik has halted production". Video Games Chronicle. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  24. ↑ "Welcome Home, Hobbit! Private Division and Wētā Workshop Announce Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game" (Press release). Take-Two Interactive. August 15, 2022. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  25. ↑ Lane, Rick (May 31, 2024). "Private Division has canceled a deal for Bloober Team's unannounced survival horror Project C, but the mystery game from the Silent Hill 2 remakers might not be dead yet". PC Gamer. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  26. 1 2 "Private Division Announces Publishing Partnership with Game Freak" (Press release). Take-Two Interactive. May 9, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  27. 1 2 "Kerbal Space Program 2 Launches in Early Access Today" (Press release). Take-Two Interactive. February 24, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  28. ↑ Chalk, Andy (March 7, 2023). "Take-Two confirms layoffs following 'exponential growth in recent years'". PC Gamer. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  29. ↑ Ivan, Tom (May 1, 2024). "Take-Two has reportedly shut down Roll7 and Intercept Games". Video Games Chronicle. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  30. ↑ Schreier, Jason (May 1, 2024). "Take-Two Interactive Shuts Down Two Game Studios". Bloomberg News. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  31. 1 2 Parrish, Ash (September 12, 2024). "Annapurna Interactive staff reportedly resigns en masse". The Verge. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  32. ↑ Wales, Matt (March 11, 2025). "Ori, No Rest for the Wicked studio goes 'fully independent' in aftermath of Private Division closure". Eurogamer. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  33. 1 2 3 "LEGO Party! Makes Its Playful Debut at Summer Game Fest". The Lego Group. June 6, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  34. 1 2 "LEGO Party!". Fictions. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  35. ↑ "Our Team". Haveli Investments. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  36. 1 2 "Private Division LLC — California business entity record, document number B20250053292". BizProfile, based on California Secretary of State records. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  37. 1 2 "Games". Fictions. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  38. ↑ "Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey to Launch for PC on August 27, 2019 and Consoles in December 2019" (Press release). Take-Two Interactive. May 23, 2019. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  39. ↑ "The Outer Worlds". Obsidian Entertainment. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  40. ↑ "Hades: Out Now on Xbox and PlayStation!". Supergiant Games. August 13, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  41. ↑ "Tales of the Shire". Fictions. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  42. ↑ "Beast of Reincarnation". Fictions. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  43. ↑ Maas, Jennifer (June 30, 2026). "Inside Netflix's 'Unhinged' Horror Game, Made in Secret Collaboration With David Fincher and 'Weapons' Director Zach Cregger". Variety. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  44. ↑ "Sword of the Sea". Fictions. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  45. ↑ Romano, Sal (October 28, 2026). "Sword of the Sea coming to Xbox Series, Switch 2 on October 29". Gematsu. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  46. ↑ "Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey". Fictions. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  47. ↑ Romano, Sal (October 15, 2026). "Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey coming to PS5, Xbox Series, and Switch 2 on December 8". Gematsu. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  48. ↑ Romano, Sal (August 27, 2026). "Armatus launches January 7, 2027". Gematsu. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  49. ↑ "Everbloom Arrives Spring 2027". Steam Community — Torbie Games and Fictions. June 9, 2026. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
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