More Job Cuts at Private Division, Most Likely in Munich as Well

Take-Two Interactive is reportedly shutting down Intercept Games and Roll7. Both were part of the indie publishing arm Private Division, which will also see a significant reduction in staff, including its Munich office.

Update - 03 May at 13:59:

Alan Lewis, a spokesman for Take 2 Interactive, issued the following statement in response to an enquiry from GamesMarkt. "On April 16th, Take-Two announced a cost reduction program to identify efficiencies across its business and to enhance the Company’s margin profile, while still investing for growth. As part of these efforts, the Company is rationalizing its pipeline and eliminating several projects in development and streamlining its organizational structure, which will eliminate headcount and reduce future hiring needs. The Company is not providing additional details on this program.  On April 18th Private Division successfully launched Moon Studio’s No Rest for the Wicked. The label continues to make updates to Kerbal Space Program 2 and plans to release Wētā Workshop Game Studio's Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game in the second half of 2024." No further information was given on possible redundancies in Munich.

Original News - 03 May at 11:26

Private Division, the indie publishing arm of Take-Two Interactive, is also cutting jobs. According to media reports from Bloomberg and GI.biz, the vast majority of employees in Seattle, New York, Las Vegas and Munich will be laid off. In the case of Private Division, Munich is something of a headquarters for the international business, which was set up in 2017. Markus Wilding established the international communications structures, i.e. marketing and PR. According to RocketReach, the Take Two division has just over 100 employees worldwide. Take-Two announced last month that it will lay off five percent of its workforce, around 580 employees. The company is streamlining its pipeline by cancelling several projects in development and its organisational structure. In March 2023, the company had already made redundancies at Private Division and Firaxis (News in German).

According to Bloomberg, Roll7 and Intercept Games, both part of Private Division, will be closed. British studio Roll7 is known for the OlliOlli series and Rollerdrome. Seattle-based Intercept Games employs 70 people and is working on Kerbal Space Program 2, which is still in Early Access but will continue to receive updates, according to Take-Two Interactive.

GamesMarkt has contacted Private Division and Take-Two for comment on possible job cuts at Private Division, but has not yet received a response.

Private Division has released The Outer Worlds by Obsidian Entertainment, Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey by Panache Digital Games, and Disintegration by V1 Interactive, among others. OlliOlli World and Rollerdrome by Roll7 followed in 2022, and Kerbal Space Programme 2 was sent into Early Access in 2023. More recently, Penny's Big Breakaway by Evening Star and No Rest for the Wicked (Early Access) by Austrian Moon Studios were released. Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game from Wētā Workshop Game Studio will follow in the second half of the year. Projects with Game Freak and Bloober Team have also been announced. These have not yet been revealed.

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