What are Take-Two Interactive working on - A look at their studios
Take-Two Interactive is not the most common name in the industry, however their subsidiaries there are well known, 2K, Rockstar Games and Private Division to name a few.
While picking a few games from 2K is an easy bet, they do have some of the most well received sports titles in recent years under their banner, the others are a little harder to nail down. For this one, as they have multiple studios, under the larger banners, we will break them down by main subsidiary first, then studios with in, so let’s go.
2K
31st Union
Series known to them: Nothing yet…
One of the newest studios in the 2K portfolio, 31st Union is in an odd position, as they were meant to reveal their first game back in 2020, as was confirmed by Take-Two earlier in that year. However we all know what happened and since then, the studio and whatever they are working on has gone pretty silent.
What we do know about them is that the studio was founded by Sledgehammer Games co-founder Michael Condrey, who has directed games like James Bond: Everything or Nothing, Dead Space and a few Call of Duty titles. In addition Michael Chu, former narrative director for Overwatch has joined the studio as the narrative director for this mystery game. A social post from the team, to kick of 2022, also seems to indicate something is coming, we just have to wait a little longer it seems.
Cat Daddy Games
Series known to them: NBA mobile series, WWE Supercard, Carnival Games series
Perhaps one of the least well know developers in the 2K group, Cat Daddy Games have spent the last few years crafting the mobile experiences for NBA, including the seasonal updates, along with the WWE Supercard title, that lets players collect digital WWE cards.
The problem with this developer is there content is cyclical, meaning each year we get more of the same, so expect a new MyNBA2K23, WWE Supercard Season 8 and some updates to the NBA 2K Mobile series. Given that WWE on consoles is getting a relaunch this year, they could use that to do something on mobile, but we will just need to wait and see.
Cloud Chamber
Series known to them: Nothing yet…
Another studio without a game released, but that is because the studio was only formed at the end of 2019, with the goal of creating the next entry in the Bioshock series. The team has been built up and have two locations, so it is possible that we get a reveal of what they have been working on this year, but if that is the case, don’t expect a release this year.
Firaxis Games
Series known to them: Civilzation series, XCOM series
Firaxis is one of those few developers, globally, that works very well within a specific genre niche, in their case strategy, but beyond that the studio can create sub-genres, to create vastly different experiences. While 2021 saw the team continue their Frontier Pass for Civilzation 6, 2022 is set to be something different when Marvel’s Midnight Suns is released, making this their first game, outside of their known series since 2013’s Haunted Hollow.
We know that Marvel’s Midnight Suns is coming this year and while it was dated for a March 2022 release, it was delayed until later in the year, in order to give the team more time to polish things up. While it is a strategy game, is described as a tactical role-playing game, which might be enough to draw new players in, if the Marvel licence didn’t do that already.
Hangar 13
Series known to them: Mafia series
Created to revitalise the Mafia series, the studio did that with 2016’s Mafia 3 and then came back for more, when they remade the original game in 2020. Between the releases, the studio helped Gearbox update the Borderlands titles to 4K visuals, they opened up a second studio and oversaw the remastering of Mafia 2.
It is their second studio, which is based in the UK, that we care about, as they have been working on a new ip since 2018 and while reports of the studio having had their game, Volt cancelled last year have surfaced, it is unknown if the game was being developed by the UK team, or the one in the USA. It is possible that the UK project is still ongoing and if so, expect to hear something from that this year, else this might be a quiet year for the studio as a whole.
HB Studios
Series known to them: The Golf Club series
Technically, The Golf Club series is no more, as the studio is now releasing the games under the name PGA Tour, but it is the same underlying game and while the 2K partnership and then acquisition has only taken place in recent years, the studio has been developing sports titles for years before then, most of them for EA.
If PGA Tour 2K becomes a yearly series, which is possible, expect to see a new entry this year from them, however in the years past, before 2K got involved with money, the studio released the games every two years (which should be the cycle for all sports games.) This means that it is possible we might not hear from them, it really just depends on how 2K want to market the game, right now they are the only officially licenced golf series around and with EA delaying their return for a while longer, the fairway is wide open for this studio to become king.
Visual Concepts
Series known to them: NBA 2K series, WWE 2K series, NHL 2k series
Electronic Arts might have their EA Sports brand, but Visual Concepts as a single studio, even though they now have 9 studios around the world, develops more sports titles a year than the big publisher. For years they were creating NBA games, assisting with WWE games and in years gone past, NHL games.
Since 2019 though the studio has been developing the NBA and WWE games on their own and while we know that WWE 2K22 is coming this year, with the studio having taken a year off to reboot almost everything about it, like the sun rising in the east, we know that they will be doing another NBA 2K game. What would be nice is if they started to venture back out into other sports again, or maybe picked up a new sport they hadn’t touched upon before, but that is unlikely.
2K Vegas, 2K Chengdu, 2K Madrid
Series known to them: Nothing
While 2K class these as studios, they mostly provide QA support for the various titles made elsewhere, so seeing them develop their own game is unlikely.
Ghost Story Games
Ghost Story Games
Series known to them: Bioshock series (technically)
Ghost Story Games was at one point known as Irrational Games, who made Bioshock and Bioshock: Infinite and once the latter title was released, founder Ken Levine made the decision to downside the studio, in order to create games that would have a more direct relationship with gamers.
Since then the studio hasn’t released a single game and reports from earlier this month have their first title under the new name, stuck in development, and with the game having started development back in 2014, that makes it quite the cycle of work. If the people from the studio, who have commented publicly on the situation are to be believed, we won’t see anything from them this year.
Private Division
Intercept Games
Series known to them: Kerbal Space Program series
With the first game in the series being developed by Squad, a Mexican studio, it was a bit of a shock to see another studio pick up the development of the sequel. While the first game was released sometime ago, the sequel is being developed in a shorter timeframe it seems.
The game was officially announced back in 2019 and is currently dated for release sometime in 2022, but there is no specific date beyond that. Given the games very specific demands on success, one could see the game delayed, if it needs to be, but the studio haven’t had word of any potential issues during development, so this one could be ready to launch this year.
Roll7
Series known to them: OlliOlli series
A recent purchase into the Private Division family, Roll7 burst into the spotlight with 2013’s OlliOlli, a game that hit almost everything in the end and while this wasn’t the studios first game, it was the one that did the best for them. Since them, the studio made a sequel for it, a few other titles here and there, but it is the upcoming February release of OlliOlli World that has people happy.
The game was dated recently for an early February release, which at the time of writing this is still on track to land then, so unless the team have DLC planned for the title, beyond cosmetics, once it is out the door, I wouldn’t expect anything else from them this year.
Rockstar Games
Rockstar Dundee
Series known to them: Crackdown series
The studio now know as Rockstar Dundee, based on their location, not their love of Australian movies, was founded back in 2008 as Ruffian Games and developed Crackdown 2, then going on to support Crackdown 3’s development. Between then the studio supported development of some Kinect titles, as well as porting some Halo games into The Master Chief Collection.
Now they are part of Rockstar though, the studio has been quiet and while they have confirmed they are working on Rockstar games, they haven’t said what they are doing yet. Once nice touch is that Ruffian founder Billy Thomson was one of the developers on the original Grand Theft Auto games, you know the top down ones.
Rockstar India
Series known to them: Red Dead Redemption 2
While a studio not known in the larger gaming development world, Rockstar India is one of the largest groups of developers that Take-Two has, with over 500 folks working there. For now the studio is known as an assisting developer, picking up work on whatever Rockstar needs them to, so they have no games of their own in the making.
Rockstar Leeds
Series known to them: Grand Theft Auto Stories series
While a Rockstar studio now, the studio was first created as Mobius Entertainment and created some big games for the Game Boy Advance, including Max Payne. Since they were bought out and then into the Rockstar fold, the studio did the lead development on the Stories series of GTA games, as well as porting a bunch of other Rockstar games to various platforms, like Table Tennis to the Wii.
Their last game they worked on was Red Dead Redemption 2, much like India above, assisting with various aspects of development, their last original title though was Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars and while more of that style of game would be great, there are no reports of anything else happening from the studio.
Rockstar Lincoln
Series known to them: Grand Theft Auto for Game Boy Colour, Austin Powers series
While developers in their own right back in the day, since they became apart of Rockstar, the studio has been known more for its QA support, most recently for Red Dead Redemption 2.
Rockstar London
Series known to them: Manhunt 2, Max Payne 3
When Max Payne 3 was released, Rockstar London were given their moment in the sun, but as is the theme for this section, since then, they have become a supporting development studio for Rockstar as a whole, helping with work on Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2. There is no reports on the studio creating anything on their own at this stage.
Rockstar New England
Series known to them: Bully: Scholarship Edition, Star Trek: Armada series
Before they were a Rockstar studio, they were know as Mad Doc Software and created games in the Star Trek universe, along with development work on the last Turok game, which was done by Disney. But it was their porting/remastering of Bully that gave them attention and, yep you guessed it, since then, they have been supporting development of other Rockstar titles, including Red Dead Redemption 2.
Rockstar North
Series known to them: Grand Theft Auto series, Lemmings series, Space Station Silicon Valley
While the lead studio now, before they were Rockstar, they were DMA Design, the studio that created Lemmings and GTA, while the recent years have seen them used as development support for Red Dead Redemption 2, they have been able to create games on their own, namely GTA V, GTA IV, GTA: San Andreas, Manhunt and more.
While GTA V is being ported to Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, there is no word if Rockstar North are handling the work, but given they haven’t released their own game since the original release date of GTA V back in 2013 and then the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 ports a few years later, it would make sense they are at it again.
Rockstar San Diego
Series known to them: Table Tennis, Red Dead series
Much like other studios in the list, San Diego has created a lot of games for other platforms, before Take-Two added them to the family, Midtown Madness being one of their big ones. They were so successful with that series that Rockstar partnered with them, and we got the Midnight Club series from them, they were responsible for the Smuggler’s Run series of games as well.
But it was 2004’s Red Dead Revolver that put them on the direction we know them from now, as the studio lead the development of all the other games in the series as well. While the studio shipped Red Dead Redemption 2 back in 2018, the game has had some consistent updates and of course Red Dead Online gets new content all the time, but there is no word on what their next game may be. Given it was 8 years between RDR1 and RDR2, it could be a while before we see anything new from them.
Rockstar Toronto
Series known to them: Various Rockstar series
Another studio that hasn’t had a game of their own for many years, and that is sad, because their last original creation was 2005’s The Warriors, based on the movie. Since then, that same theme pops up again, the studio has mostly been used as a development support for other Rockstar titles and that is unlikely to have changed recently.
T2 Mobile Games
Nordeus
Series known to them: Top Eleven Football Manager
A recent buy from Take-Two is bringing this developer into the fold, they were know behind the Top Eleven series, but recently saw the release of their second IP in Heroic - Magic Duel for mobile devices. While that happened back in 2019, there has been no word on what the studio if the studio is working on anything new, but given Top Eleven has some 250 million players around the world, they are likely going to stick with that for a while.
Playdots
Series known to them: Two Dots
The biggest game from PlayDots is Two Dots, a match style puzzle game, that is constantly updating with new mini-games and events, including Where’s Wally style finding games. The game maker has nothing new in the public space yet, but given the success of Two Dots, that is not surprising.
Socialpoint
Series known to them: Dragon City
A studio known for creating titles for mobile devices and Facebook, their games are quite varied. We know that development is on going for both Champions Destiny and League of Dragons, along with support for some of their existing games.
For the new games, there are very few details around for them, so a release this year is possible, given mobile games tend not to have big lead ups between their reveal and then release.
So there we go, the line up for Take-Two, at least as far as we can tell. Of course, Rockstar could throw all that out the window, if they announce a new game and not just farm out more content for the online modes of GTA and Red Dead Redemption 2.
But what do you hope the company does, are you looking forward to just more NBA, or maybe you want something all new? Let’s us know in the comments below.
