Take-Two Interactive News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

As a somewhat deflating example of the money-churning might of GTA Online becoming the sole focus of Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto 5 efforts over the last decade, the actor who played Trevor in the ridiculously well-selling crime epic has teased some details of planned story DLC that would have turned the controversial protagonist into a James Bond-style spy. The pack supposedly got as far as shooting with the actors, only to end up cancelled and folded into a GTA Online heist.

People Can Fly has cancelled Project Dagger, a new action-adventure IP that was in development at its New York studio for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. The studio announced the project’s development back in 2020, revealing at the time that it would be published by Take-Two Interactive. In 2022, however, it was announced that the agreement between the two had been terminated, and that People Can Fly would be moving forward with the project with the intention of self-publishing it.

The Electronic Software Association has shot down the idea of supporting libraries in the preservation of defunct online games.

Take-Two has won its lawsuit against tattoo artist Jimmy Hayden, who claimed that the reproduction of his work on basketball player LeBron James in the NBA 2K series constituted copyright infringement.

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Game Rant can exclusively reveal Tiny Tina's Wonderlands: Land of the Giants, a new comic series tie-in to Gearbox Software's Borderlands spin-off. The first issue of the Tiny Tina's Wonderlands-inspired comic book set is scheduled to hit the store shelves in summer 2024.

A recent study has underscored a groundbreaking achievement, showing that 4.5 million gamers worldwide have significantly advanced microbial evolutionary research by playing a minigame within Borderlands 3. In a collaborative effort between academic researchers, a gaming development company, and Borderlands 3 players, the tremendous potential of gaming and scientific endeavors has been demonstrated.

Take-Two Interactive is embarking on another cost cutting program, and this one will see the company layoff about 5% of its employees by the end of the year.

Take-Two Interactive, the publisher behind the Grand Theft Auto series, including the upcoming GTA 6, is enacting a cut to its workforce and canceling projects. This is just the latest in the slew of layoffs and restructurings in the gaming industry over the last couple years.

2024’s brutal wave of games industry layoffs has seen the likes of Microsoft, EA, Sony, Riot Games, Sega, and many others cutting significant amounts of jobs, and another major name has now joined that list with Take-Two Interactive.

A Mafia series announcement is on the horizon, a well-known leaker has claimed. The purported bit of upcoming news is plausibly related to the fourth mainline Mafia game.

According to new information from Grand Theft Auto 5 actors Steven Ogg and Ned Luke, GTA 5 was going to have a behind-the-scenes documentary, but it was ultimately scrapped by Rockstar Games. The actors behind Trevor and Michael, respectively, lamented that footage was filmed during the process of building GTA 5, but nothing was ever done with it.

With GTA 6 now on the horizon, Grand Theft Auto Online players are sharing what they want to see from the game in a final update. While the online component of GTA 5 has given players plenty to do and enjoy over the years, there's still plenty of opportunities to expand GTA Onlinefurther and to resolve some unfinished business.

Following the recent price hike for EA Play, as well as price bumps for other video game subscription services over the last year, Rockstar's GTA+ is getting more expensive too.

Following the sale of Gearbox to Take-Two, Gearbox Publishing, which wasn’t part of the sale, has rebranded.

Despite seemingly escaping the Embrace(r) of death through their sale to Take-Two at the end of last month, Gearbox Entertainment haven’t quite emerged unscathed. The studio has confirmed a number of layoffs shortly after the announcement of the sale, while clarifying that no positions related to the development of games were affected.

Following Gearbox’s sale to Take-Two Interactive for $460 million, reports of layoffs at the development studio began to circulate. The number of layoffs is unknown, but while it officially confirmed the same, Gearbox Entertainment told Eurogamer that they’re not “tied” to the development of its titles.

Rockstar classics Bully and LA Noire will join the GTA+ subscription service later this year, the Grand Theft Auto developer has confirmed.

Gearbox Entertainment is splitting from Embracer Group, with Take-Two Interactive having acquired the Borderlands developer for a sum of $460 million. In a press release announcing the acquisition, the company revealed that Borderlands 4 is in active development at the studio- and it’s one of several games that Gearbox has in the pipeline.

It was recently announced that Embracer Group is selling Gearbox Entertainment to Take-Two Interactive for $460 million, but though the Borderlands developer is escaping the grasp of a company that has been in love with layoffs this past year, it’s still been hit with a fresh round of layoffs nonetheless.

Gearbox Entertainment has been hit with a wave of layoffs, mere hours after the game development company announced its pending acquisition by Take-Two Interactive. After recent rumors that the company was potentially up for sale, it was confirmed on March 27 that Embracer Group will be selling Gearbox for $460 million. This comes after nearly a year of the Swedish media conglomerate divesting itself, through sale or closure, of multiple subsidiaries to increase cash flow.

Embracer Group has announced that it has sold Borderlands developer Gearbox Entertainment to Take-Two Interactive.

Gearbox Entertainment, the company behind the fan-favorite series Borderlands, confirms that it has been acquired by Take-Two Interactive/2K. While this is not necessarily surprising, as rumors have swirled around Borderlands and Gearbox's status within Embracer Group for some time, it does come in the middle of the night, almost literally, for many fans around the world.

After months of rumors, the Embracer Group has confirmed an agreement to sell parts of Gearbox Entertainment to Take-Two Interactive for $460 million. The divested assets include Gearbox Software, Gearbox Montreal, Gearbox Studio Quebec and franchises like Borderlands, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, Homeworld, Risk of Rain, Duke Nukem and Brothers in Arms.

Take-Two will acquire developer Gearbox from Embracer for $460 million.

Gearbox Entertainment, the company behind the fan-favorite series Borderlands, confirms that it has been acquired by Take-Two Interactive/2K. While this is not necessarily surprising, as rumors have swirled around Borderlands and Gearbox's status within Embracer Group for some time, it does come in the middle of the night, almost literally, for many fans around the world.

Following up yesterday’s news on Ghost Ship Games’ upcoming Judas, courtesy of the Ian Games Network, another interview with the Friends Per Second podcast, via SkillUp on YouTube, has shed light aplenty on the upcoming Bioshock-ian FPS game. The hosts played the game for 5 hours at Ghost Ship Games in Boston, then interviewed director Ken Levine. Here’s a crunchy chipstick of a take to kick things off with; Judas is, says Ralph of SkillUp, “Definitely not Bioshock in space”. I...haven't played it, have I, so I'll put my cynicism in its horrible little cage for a bit. Aesthetically, at least, Judas does look to have a lot going for it.

Creative director Ken Levine has shared that his upcoming game Judas will incorporate roguelike gameplay elements. The BioShock creator elaborated on the intriguing features set to be included in Judas, such as the utilization of «organic powers» and the implementation of non-linear storytelling.

Good news for people who don’t cringe violently every time they encounter the phrase “Narrative Legos”! We’ve finally got some more details about the extremely Bioshock-adjacent Judas, courtesy of the Ian Games Network, who spent six hours playing the game and chatting to Levine at Ghost Story Games in Boston. It’s a massive interview, but very broadly, it's an FPS game that gives you guns in your right hand and “various organic powers” in your left. It’s got a big focus on story and choosing your own path through character interaction, and it also has roguelike elements. “The ship is different every time you die and come back, the ship layout can be different," says Levine.

Some third-party publishers are reportedly expressing doubts about continuing to support Xbox consoles amid “flatlining” sales in Europe.

GTA 6 is facing development troubles, leaving leadership “nervous” that the hotly anticipated open world crime-athon could be “falling behind’ expected schedules. That’s according to Kotaku, who were told by an anonymous source that studio heads are “worried” that the game could miss 2025 completely and not see release until 2026. Kotaku were told that the studio is still “aiming” for a Spring 2025 release date, but sources feel Fall of the same year is more plausible. However, the title could be delayed until 2026 as a “fallback plan.”

Swedish non-profit Talita has created a new mod for GTA 5 to highlight real-life issues of sex trafficking.

Xbox Game Pass is adding NBA 2K24 to its content library later today, March 11. Unlike the vast majority of titles that make their way to the service, the latest entry in the NBA 2K franchise won't be available to Xbox Game Pass users on PC.

A GTA fan is calling forGrand Theft Auto 6 to add a car feature that would allow players to put people in the back trunk of vehicles. The idea resonated with fellow players, starting a discussion surrounding the Grand Theft Auto 6 wishlist of features they hope to see in Rockstar Games' next installment.

After years of anticipation, Grand Theft Auto 6 is entering the last stages of development and Rockstar Games' leadership is preparing for the final push. It's been just over a decade since fans of GTA got a new entry in the series and two years since Rockstar confirmed Grand Theft Auto 6 was in development. Over that time, gamers have grown more excited and hungry for any news about how the sequel is shaping up.

There is a new Barbie mobile game on the way, and it will be released relatively quickly. Fans of the 2023 movie may have something to look forward to, along with fans of the Barbie brand altogether. Zynga-owned developer Rollic is attached. Last July, Greta Gerwig's Barbie went on to make $1.4 billion. It is easy to understand why Mattel wants to capitalize on the success of Barbie, as the movie appears to have revitalized interest in the Barbie, and Mattel brands and there is plenty of material to draw from.

The co-founder of Gearbox Software has teased what appears to be an update on Borderlands 4.

The first photos showing off the upcoming Borderlands film have been released.

Capcom has suggested that it could release more $70 games after Dragon’s Dogma 2, which is the Japanese publisher’s first title to carry the increased price point.

Sony appears to be in the process of rolling out its first major PlayStation 5 Slim discounts across Europe.

Word from Take-Two Interactive, parent company of Grand Theft Auto 6 developer Rockstar Games, may have inadvertently narrowed down the upcoming sequel’s release window from a mere “2025.” With Grand Theft Auto 6 not slated to release until next year, plenty of fans are eager for a clearer idea of when exactly they’ll be able to get their hands on Rockstar’s next big game, and a recent financial report may have given them just that.

Amid an industry with extensive layoffs, including Activision-Blizzard post-acquisition by Microsoft, publisher Take-Two Interactive is looking to avoid the same. Following an earnings call for its recent fiscal report, CEO Strauss Zelnick told Variety, “We have no current plans for layoffs.

Take-Two Interactive and 2K Games have said that virtual currencies within games are «fictions created by game publishers» during a lawsuit which alleges that money is effectively stolen from players when games are shut down.

PlayStation 5 had outsold Xbox Series X/S by around 2-to-1 as of the end of 2023, according to data shared by Grand Theft Auto publisher Take-Two.

The current generation of console gaming has entered its fourth year, and by and large, it’s maintained impressive momentum so far, especially where hardware sales are concerned.

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has said the company, publisher of Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption, has «no current plans» to layoff staff as it continues to pursue its cost reduction program.

Take-Two’s CEO Strauss Zelnick has recently commented on the GTA 6 trailer leak, revealing that it was a disappointing event, but it did not hurt the development team. Grand Theft Auto 6 is one of the most eagerly awaited games in the world right now, and this is the first time the CEO has publicly revealed his thoughts about the leak.

The recently reported trademark dispute between video game giant Take-Two Interactive and renowned developer Remedy Entertainment has already been resolved, the latter claimed. In addition, the studio noted that its working relationship with Take-Two Interactive remains unchanged.

One of the more amusingly bizarre news stories of the early days of 2024 arrived earlier this week when it emerged that Rockstar Games’ parent company Take-Two Interactive had filed a trademark dispute against Remedy Entertainment’s new logo, claiming that it was too similar to the GTA maker’s logo, which also prominently displays a stylized “R”.

Rockstar has announced it's removing Grand Theft Auto Online's clips editor on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One from 20th February this year, explaining it's making the move as it approaches the «limits of what's possible» on previous-generation consoles.

Take-Two Interactive has moved forward with a surprising lawsuit against Remedy.

Game maker Take-Two Interactive has filed a lawsuit against Max Payne maker Remedy Entertainment, citing copyright infringement. Take-Two claims that Remedy Entertainment’s «R» Remedy logo is too similar to Rockstar’s «R» logo.

Alright, alright, they're in a disupte over the letter R as used for a logo for a video game company. As spotted by Respawn First, Remedy (they of the Alan Wake) revealed their new logo last year, a big letter R, and Take-Two (they of the owning Rockstar Games) contest it. Rockstar's logo is also a big letter R, although I think they're pretty different Rs.

Take Two Interactive has entered a trademark dispute with Remedy Entertainment, and says the latter's logo resembles the R* of Rockstar Games.

In April last year, Remedy Entertainment revealed a brand-new logo for itself, prominently displaying the letter “R” in stylized fashion as the developer sought to “update and redefine its visual identity”. Of course, when you think of a developer that has the letter R as its logo, you instantly think of Rockstar Games. Unsurprisingly, the GTA developer’s parent company Take-Two Interactive is keenly aware of the similarities between the two studios’ logo, and is none too pleased about them.

Ned Luke, the voice actor behind Michael De Santa in Grand Theft Auto 5, has called out a company for using his voice as the basis of an unofficial AI chatbot.

The CEO of Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar Games’ parent company, says AI will help studios produce higher-quality games. However, he doesn’t believe it will make game development faster or cheaper.

We’re mere hours away from the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6, the simple teaser image for which has already sparked an internet-wide meme and thrown infinite fuel on the ever-burning GTA 6 rumour fire. Big questions remain, of course. Not least: when will GTA 6 actually be out? Yet some eagle-eyed internet detectives reckon GTA 6’s release date has been staring us all in the face - and nips - for months.

Take-Two Interactive and 2K Games are facing a class action lawsuit accusing the company of theft and unlawful business practices, due to virtual currency becoming non-transferrable in its games once servers for previous titles are deactivated.

Ned Luke, the actor behind GTA 5 main character Michael De Santa, has been swatted while playing the game for fans in a Thanksgiving livestream.

From The Last of Us and God of War to Mario and The Legend of Zelda (to name just a few), there has been no shortage of major gaming properties that are being adapted as TV shows or movies. And at a time where it feels like it’s only a matter of time before most major gaming franchises get snapped up for similar adaptations, it’s only natural to wonder when we’ll be seeing a Grand Theft Auto film.

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When first I played GTA Online back in the Xbox 360 days it felt like an afterthought, a chance to play some random good-for-nothing in GTA 5's sizzling alt-Los Angeles, securely cloistered away from the events of the all-important singleplayer story. Having built yourself a no-name crim, you galloped around cranking out cash and XP by means of glorified sidequests handed down by headliners such as Lamar. Skip forward to 2023, and as Alice0 observed when we discussed Rockstar's GTA 6 announcements this morning, GTA Online is effectively an MMO with ten years of updates, expansions and community projects under its belt. The no-name crim has become the star attraction.

After months of rumors and a massive leak, an announcement for the next Grand Theft Auto is reportedly coming this week. This is according to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, who spoke to “people familiar” with Rockstar Games’ plans.

Recent years have been dominated by mergers and acquisitions in the games industry, with the likes of Microsoft, Sony, EA, Take-Two Interactive, Embracer Group, and others having made a number of purchases to add to their internal portfolio of development studios. 2023 has, of course, seen some slowdown on that front, but with Microsoft’s massive $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard now finally having gone through after a drawn-out approval process, it seems like the next year will see increased activity once again.

Grand Theft Auto 6 is easily one of the most highly anticipated games at this point in time, and almost any rumour related to the game is bound to cause sparks of hope within hundreds of thousands of fans across the globe. Recently,it was observed that age ratings for GTA 6 were listed on the Australian Classification Board, but a new investigation from PCGamesN has revealed that it was all fake.

Despite confirming its development, Rockstar Games still hasn’t officially showcased the next Grand Theft Auto (which suffered a massive leak last year). It was recently rated by the Australian Classification Board, which could mean an announcement is forthcoming. For now, French publication Rockstar Magazine has some new details on graphical improvements in the sequel.

We’ve known for a while now that the next mainline Grand Theft Auto game is in the works, and with GTA 5 now a decade old, it’s no surprise that anticipation surrounding the game continues to climb with every passing day, even if the only thing we officially know about it is that it’s in development. Reports have, of course, suggested in recent months that Grand Theft Auto 6 is going to launch within the next year and a half (or thereabouts), and recent comments by Rockstar’s parent company Take-Two Interactive continue to point in that direction.