Mass layoffs have reportedly hit Take-Two’s Private Division and its many subsidiaries.
Take-Two Interactive is reportedly set to shut down Roll7 and Intercept Games, two acclaimed studios under the Private Division banner, as part of cost-cutting measures. The news arrives courtesy of Bloomberg, which reported plans aligned with Take-Two’s earlier announcement of impending layoffs and game cancellations impacting around 5% of company staff.
As part of these plans, the majority of staff at Roll7 and Intercept Games will seemingly be laid off. Per an employment notice filed in Washington State (spotted by Game Developer), 70 people at Intercept Games will lose their jobs. The exact number of layoffs at Roll7 is unclear.
In a statement to Game Developer, a Take-Two spokesperson confirmed that Private Division will continue to make updates for Intercept’s Kerbal Space Program 2, and publishing work on Weta Workshop’s Tales of the Shire also continues. As for other games from Intercept and Roll7, it’s more likely each studio’s latest project is cancelled entirely.
The loss of Roll7 feels particularly egregious. The UK-based studio was first established way back in 2008, and it pioneered a new chapter in skateboarding games with the OlliOlli franchise. Its latest release, OlliOlli World, is a critically-acclaimed gem, and in the same year, Roll7 also released Rollerdrome, the excellent skating-shooter.
For a brief moment, it appeared Roll7 was flying high – with award wins and critical acclaim boosting the profile of the studio. Now, the talent behind the scenes will seemingly be scattered to the wind. Notably, Take-Two only acquired the studio in 2021. Likewise, Intercept Games was only established in 2020.
Our thoughts are with those impacted by the reported studio closures of Roll7 and Intercept Games.
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By Leah J. Williams 2 May 2024
