Kerbal Space Program 2, the physics-based space explorer sequel, has been delayed out of 2021. In a post to the game's official forums, creative director Nate Simpson shared the news that the game, initially delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, is now further away.

"Kerbal Space Program 2 will release in 2022 instead of fall 2021," Simpson wrote. "We knew we were taking on an immense technical and creative challenge when we started this project. We’ve heard time and again from this community that quality is paramount, and we feel the same way." With this in mind, the team has delayed the game to ensure its quality.

"We’re creating a reliable foundation on which players and modders alike can build for another decade or more," Simpson says. "That involves solving problems that have never been solved before, and that takes time."

He went on to tease that the game is making "huge leaps," and that it's been hard to keep everything they're working on a secret. "We can’t express how much we're looking forward to soaking up all your reactions," he said.

The team is promising new screens, dev diaries, and other videos in the future to keep players informed on the upcoming game.

It's been a turbulent year for the development team behind Kerbal Space Program 2. Bloomberg uncovered an incident where the game's publisher, Take-Two, poached the team working on the game for a new team, causing the original studio behind the game to be shuttered. It's an incredibly strange story.

GameSpot got to check out the sequel at Gamescom 2019--you can read the preview here.