Remember when Take-Two shut down Kerbal Space Program 2 developer Intercept Games and Roll7, the studio behind Rollerdrome and OlliOlli World, but Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said the studios were “not closing”? Well, Take-two has now confirmed those closures, along with the sale of indie publisher Private Division.
Yes, after reports — based on internal documents and a notice filed in Washington — that the studios would be shuttered, now they are indeed closed.
iGamesNews
A spokesperson for Take-Two confirmed this to GamesIndustry.Biz, and the company also spoke to Zelnick about the sale of Private Division to a mystery buyer, which will be revealed “relatively soon.” The news was revealed during Take-Two’s latest earnings call. Take-Two did outline that, despite this, it would continue to support Moon Studios’ No Rest for the Wicked.
The executive explained why the company chose to sell its independent label, which has published some good stuff like Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds. Zelnick said this was a “strategic decision” that would allow Take-Two to put more resources into its “core business and mobile business,” adding: “We really do best at these big AAA experiences.” He went on to say promoted the company’s big IPs such as GTA, Borderlands and NBA 2K, outlining that “it’s our mission to create sequels to existing beloved franchises and create new hit IPs.” Mission”.
So, where has the private sector gone? Well, while the CEO did say that the brand “does a good job of supporting indie developers” and has a lot of projects that are doing well, he went on to add: “Frankly, those projects are smaller and we The mission is to create great success.”
Considering where the industry will be in 2024 and how we got here, it’s frustrating, if not downright surprising, to hear the head of a major gaming company say this.
But that’s okay, GTA 6 is still expected to release in the fall of 2025, so we can focus on that and pretend we’re not sad that a major publisher is choosing to pass on a great studio.
