Take-Two’s Indie Label division is reportedly in trouble

It seems so grand theft auto publisher Take two trying to shed its independent label, Special section. This is according to new IGN a report That details how the company last Close the studio Mismanagement was “quietly killing” the independent publisher.

according to IGNthe majority of the Special Division’s staff was laid off at the end of April, leaving only a small team to support games that had already been announced under titles such as Moon Studio’s Early Access game. There is no rest for the wicked. The move comes after a series of studio closures under the Special Division banner, including… KArbal 2 space programme Developer Intercept Games and Rollerdrome developer Roll 7. While Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick claimed earlier this month, after a round of layoffs, that the company “He didn’t close those studios“,” IGN Reports indicate that Intercept is set to officially close on June 28 with Roll7 similarly winding down operations.

Sources talking to IGN He accused Take-Two of mismanagement and specifically criticized the company’s chief strategy officer and head of its special division, Michael Forosh, for poor leadership. “The whole layoff situation validated what we already felt. Take-Two couldn’t care less about its employees,” one source said.

This series of events points to the larger problems that the special division faced under Take-Two, which, IGN He confirms that he is now trying to get rid of the label completely in one way or another. After a round of layoffs in April, Special Division employees were told that Take-Two would no longer support the independent label. While this makes it seem like Private Division is about to shut down, Take-Two is reportedly looking to sell the independent label and its studios. IGN Reports it Interactive paradoxthe publisher behind strategy games like Stellariswas in talks to acquire Intercept but those talks have since fallen through.

As for the private division itself, there has been some interest from a private equity firm. These talks are reportedly being facilitated by people associated with Moon Studios. The studio was the subject of a 2022 report Claiming an “oppressive” workplace. Sources talking to IGN He said everything in the report was “true and worse.” This association had those at Private Division concerned about the uncertain future of the independent label.

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