Summary
Take-Two Interactive has soldPrivate Division, although the company’s new owner is currently unknown to the public. In many cases over the past few years in the gaming industry, large studios have resorted to downsizing as a means of streamlining work on projects and saving money. Take-Two, an industry leader known by many as the owner of Rockstar Games and Zynga among others, has also faced its share of problems. By sellingPrivate Divisionto an owner potentially more capable of supporting its team without issue, the company may have avoided another round of layoffs.
It has been a tumultuous time for the gaming industry due to the rampant layoffs and studio closures, even affecting gaming giant Take-Two Interactive. The publisherclosedRollerdomedeveloper Roll7along with Intercept Games, developer ofKerbal Space Program 2. Although Take-Two’s dominance in the gaming market is largely because it is attached to so many successful titles, it seems that the costs could have outweighed the benefits in some areas.
GTA 6publisher Take-Two Interactivehas sold its indie company Private Division. Take-Two shared this information as a part of its fiscal 2025 second-quarter earnings results, with its CEO Strauss Zelnicktelling Variety Magazinethat the deal included the purchase of substantially all of Private Division’s projects, including unreleased ones. Early Access titleNo Rest For The Wickedwill still receive support from Take-Two in the meantime. This is a large shift for both companies, but one that some people may have been anticipating for a while.
What Does the Future Hold for Private Division?
In May 2024,IGN reporter Rebekah Valentine positedthat Take-Two was “quietly killing” Private Division amid its parent company’s mass layoffs and cost-cutting efforts. That month,Take-Two had reportedly been looking into selling Private Divisioninstead of an outright closure. Private Division, responsible for publishing games likeThe Outer Worlds,Hades, andTales of the Shire: A “The Lord of The Rings” Game, has developed a following after consistently publishing indie hits. However, with Take-Two focused on saving money and restructuring, fans have been concerned about its standing.
Private Division being under new management could benefit the company since it no longer appears to be at risk of closure. Since Private Division retains ownership of the titles that may have drawn gamers' attention in the first place, the company’s brand will stay intact while gamers look forward to its next release. The next big project for Private Division appears to be itsupcoming collaboration withPokemondeveloper Game Freak, known asProject Bloom. Although Private Division hasn’t been shuttered, its employees may be counting onProject Bloom’s success to help it along now that the company may not be attached to a corporation with the same amount of resources as Take-Two.
