2K (company)

American video game publisher

Logo since 2021

Company type| Subsidiary
Industry| Video games
Founded| January 25, 2005; 20 years ago (2005-01-25) in New York City, U.S.
Headquarters|

Novato, California

Key people

* David Ismailer (president)
* Phil Dixon (COO)
* Melissa Bell (SVP, head of global marketing)

Products|

* BioShock series
* Borderlands series
* Civilization series
* Mafia series
* NBA 2K series
* PGA Tour 2K series
* WWE 2K series
* X-COM series

Parent| Take-Two Interactive
Subsidiaries| See § Studios
Website| 2k.com

2K is an American video game publisher based in Novato, California. The company was founded as a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive in January 2005 through the 2K Games and 2K Sports sub-labels. The nascent label incorporated several development studios owned by Take-Two, including Visual Concepts and Kush Games, which had been acquired the day before. Originally based in New York City, 2K moved to Novato in 2007. A third label, 2K Play, was added in September 2007. 2K is governed by David Ismailer as president and Phil Dixon as chief operating officer. It operates a motion capture studio in Petaluma, California.[1]

## History

[edit]

2K's original logo

On January 24, 2005, Take-Two Interactive announced its acquisition of Visual Concepts, the developer of sports video game series like NBA 2K, NHL 2K, and MLB 2K. Take-Two paid Sega US$24 million for the studio, including its Kush Games subsidiary and the intellectual property of the 2K series.[2][3] On the following day, the company established the 2K publishing label, consisting of the sub-labels 2K Games and 2K Sports, with the latter focusing on sports games.[4][5][6] Visual Concepts and Kush Games, alongside Indie Built, Venom Games, PopTop Software, and Frog City Software, became studios of the new label, which also absorbed the staff of Take-Two Licensing.[7] In January 2006, the administration and marketing portions of 2K's New York City offices were heavily damaged by a five-alarm fire.[8] In June 2007, the company closed these offices and relocated to Novato, California, bringing it closer to Visual Concepts.[9] A third sub-label, 2K Play, was established with a focus on casual games in September 2007, with Take-Two announcing a partnership with Nickelodeon for licensed games based on the latter's TV shows.[10][11] 2K Play therein also absorbed all assets of Take-Two's budget-range publisher Global Star Software, including the studio Cat Daddy Games, the game Carnival Games, and games based on Deal or No Deal.[12] In January 2013, 2K obtained the rights to publish video games based on the professional wrestling company WWE.[13]

Christoph Hartmann, 2K's president, announced his resignation in May 2017.[14] He had worked for Take-Two for roughly twenty years but did not state a reason for his departure.[15][16] He was succeeded by David Ismailer, previous chief operating officer (COO), later that month.[17][18] The COO role was filled by Phil Dixon, formerly of Betfair, in November 2017, while Melissa Bell was hired as senior vice president and head of global marketing in April 2018.[19] In September 2018, 2K announced 2K Foundations, a program that would "support underserved communities across the nation by refurbishing basketball courts in neighborhoods that need them the most". Microsoft partnered with 2K to establish gaming stations fitted with Xbox One S consoles at these courts. 2K Foundations planned to refurbish twelve basketball courts in several cities across the United States (including Cincinnati, Baltimore, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Cleveland) within its first year.[20][21]

In March 2021, 2K acquired HB Studios, which had previously developed The Golf Club 2019 featuring PGA Tour and PGA Tour 2K21 for the company. The acquisition includes the rights to the Golf Club series, which had been relaunched as the PGA Tour 2K series through a license from the PGA Tour.[22] Additionally, 2K announced it had secured a contract with Tiger Woods, who had previously been a key figure for Electronic Arts' PGA Tour series, as an executive director and consultant for future PGA Tour 2K games, as well as his likeness for the games.[23] Later that month, 2K bought HookBang's games division in Austin, Texas, which had supported work on the NBA 2K series in the past. The studio was relocated to a new Austin location and rebranded as Visual Concepts Austin.[24] In September 2022, 2K's customer support team was hacked, with certain user data stolen and put on sale.[25][26]

## Studios

[edit]

* 2K Madrid in Madrid, Spain; founded in June 2021.[27]
* 2K Chengdu in Chengdu, China; founded in June 2011.[28]
* 2K Sports Lab in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; founded in October 2023.[29]
* 2K Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.; founded in 2006 as 2K West, rebranded in 2013.[30][31]
* 2K Valencia in Valencia, Spain; founded in 2005 as Elite3D; acquired in November 2021.[32]
* 31st Union in San Mateo, California, U.S. and Valencia, Spain; founded in 2019 as 2K Silicon Valley, rebranded in 2020.[33][34]
* Cat Daddy Games in Kirkland, Washington, U.S.; founded in 1996, acquired in 2003.[35]
* Cloud Chamber in Novato, California, U.S. and Montreal, Canada; founded in 2019.[36]
* Firaxis Games in Hunt Valley, Maryland, U.S.; founded in 1996, acquired in 2005.[37]
* Hangar 13 in Novato, California, U.S., Brno and Prague, Czech Republic, and Brighton, England; founded in 2014.[38]
* HB Studios in Lunenberg, Nova Scotia, Canada; founded in 2000, acquired in 2021.[23]
* Visual Concepts in Novato, California, U.S.; founded in 1988, acquired in 2005.[4][39]
* Gearbox Software in Frisco, Texas, U.S.; founded in 1999, acquired in 2024.[40]
* Gearbox Studio Montreal in Montreal, Canada; acquired in 2024.[40]
* Gearbox Studio Québec in Québec City, Canada; acquired in 2024.[40]
* Mass Media in Moorpark, California, U.S.; founded in the 1980s, acquired in 2018.[41]

### Defunct

[edit]

* 2K Australia in Canberra, Australia; founded in 2000, acquired in 2006, closed in 2015.[42]
* 2K China in Shanghai, China; founded in May 2006, closed in November 2015.[43][44]
* 2K Czech in Brno, Czech Republic; founded in 1997, acquired in 2008, merged into Hangar 13 in 2017.[45]
* 2K Hangzhou in Hangzhou, China; founded in 2007, closed in November 2016.[46][44]
* 2K Los Angeles in Camarillo, California, U.S.; founded as Kush Games in 1998, acquired in 2005, closed in 2008.[47]
* 2K Marin in Novato, California, U.S.; founded in 2007, closed in 2013.[48][49]
* Frog City Software in San Francisco, U.S.; founded in 1994, acquired in 2003, closed in 2006.[50]
* Indie Built in Salt Lake City, U.S.; founded as Access Software in 1982, acquired and renamed in 2004, closed in 2006.[47]
* Irrational Games in Westwood, Massachusetts, U.S.; founded in 1997, acquired in 2006, closed in 2017 and succeeded by Ghost Story Games.[51]
* PAM Development in Paris, France; founded in 1995, acquired in 2005, closed in 2008.[47]
* PopTop Software in Fenton, Missouri, U.S.; founded in 1993, acquired in 2000, merged into Firaxis Games in 2006.[52]
* Venom Games in Newcastle upon Tyne, England; founded in 2003, acquired in 2004, closed in 2008.[47][53]

## Games published

[edit]

Main article: List of 2K games

* BioShock (since 2007)
* Borderlands (since 2009)
* Civilization (since 2005)
* Mafia (since 2010)
* X-COM (since 2012)
* NBA 2K (since 2005)
* PGA Tour 2K (since 2018)
* WWE 2K (since 2013)
* Top Spin (2005–2011, since 2024)

### Former

[edit]

* College Hoops 2K (2005–2007)
* College Hoops 2K6
* College Hoops 2K7
* College Hoops 2K8
* MLB 2K (2005–2013)
* NHL 2K (2005–2014)

### 2K Games Launcher

[edit]

2K released its own game launcher for computer users in 2022 atop quality of life updates to games in the BioShock series, which gave the player the ability to buy add on content for games. The addition of the launcher was criticized as it broke these games on Linux, including on the Steam Deck.[54] Future releases from 2K also used the launcher, and in the case of Marvel's Midnight Suns, players discovered the launcher was impacting the game's performance. [55]

By August 2024, 2K began to phase out the launcher, removing it from Civilization VI and assuring it would not be used in Civilization VII. [56] On November 18, 2024, 2K removed the launcher from every game that still had it on both Steam and Epic Games' storefronts.[57][58]

## References

[edit]

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2. ^ Feldman, Curt (January 24, 2005). "Sega officially out of the sports game". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 14, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
3. ^ Adams, David (January 24, 2005). "Take Two Buys Visual Concepts". IGN. Archived from the original on June 2, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
4. ^ a b Good, Owen (May 23, 2012). "A Terrible Decision Created MLB 2K—But It Also Brought Us BioShock". Kotaku. Archived from the original on August 27, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
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6. ^ Winegarner, Beth (January 25, 2005). "Take-Two pitches new label; sports high on the agenda". GameSpot. Archived from the original on February 18, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
7. ^ Jenkins, David (January 25, 2005). "Take-Two Acquires Visual Concepts, Announces 2K Games Brand". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on August 16, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
8. ^ Adams, David (January 23, 2006). "2K Games Office Damaged in Fire". IGN. Archived from the original on August 16, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
9. ^ Breckon, Nick (June 15, 2007). "2K Games Closes NYC Office, Heads West". Shacknews. Archived from the original on February 4, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
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11. ^ Androvich, Mark (September 10, 2007). "Nickelodeon enters agreement with new 2K Play label". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on August 16, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
12. ^ Kuchera, Ben (September 10, 2007). "Take-Two partners with Nickelodeon, launches casual game label 2K Play". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on February 4, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
13. ^ George, Richard (January 23, 2013). "WWE Video Game License to be Acquired by Take Two". IGN. Archived from the original on January 26, 2013. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
14. ^ Shea, Brian (May 4, 2017). "President Of 2K Games Christoph Hartmann Leaves Company". Game Informer. Archived from the original on August 16, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
15. ^ Dring, Christopher (May 4, 2017). "2K president Christoph Hartmann departs". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on August 16, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
16. ^ Dornbush, Jonathon (May 4, 2017). "2K Games President Christoph Hartmann Leaves Company". IGN. Archived from the original on August 16, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
17. ^ Kerr, Chris (May 31, 2017). "Take-Two appoints David Ismailer as president of 2K Games". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on August 16, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
18. ^ Handrahan, Matthew (May 31, 2017). "David Ismailer steps in as new 2K president". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on August 16, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
19. ^ Sinclair, Brendan (July 23, 2018). "2K's light slate belies bigger ambitions". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on November 14, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
20. ^ Handrahan, Matthew (September 26, 2018). "2K Foundations to provide basketball and STEM education facilities in US cities". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on August 16, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
21. ^ Kato, Matthew (September 25, 2018). "2K Foundations Started To Help Communities Through Basketball". Game Informer. Archived from the original on December 26, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
22. ^ Nunneley, Stephany (March 16, 2021). "2K signs exclusive PGA Tour deal with Tiger Woods, acquires PGA Tour 2K21 studio". VG247. Archived from the original on March 16, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
23. ^ a b Fahey, Mike (March 16, 2021). "2K Signs Tiger Woods, Buys The Studio Behind PGA Tour 2K21". Kotaku. Archived from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
24. ^ Sinclair, Brendan (March 23, 2021). "2K acquires HookBang games business". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on March 23, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
25. ^ Wheeler, CJ (September 21, 2022). "Rockstar owner Take-Two's hacking woes continue as 2K confirm attack on their support service". Rock Paper Shotgun. Archived from the original on October 12, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
26. ^ Smith, Graham (October 11, 2022). "2K confirms user data stolen and placed on sale after recent security breach". Rock Paper Shotgun. Archived from the original on October 12, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
27. ^ "Home". 2K Madrid. Archived from the original on April 1, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
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29. ^ "2K Sports Lab". 2K Sports Lab.
30. ^ Sinclair, Brendan (November 7, 2012). "Take-Two moving QA studio to Nevada". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on August 27, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
31. ^ "About". 2K Vegas. Archived from the original on September 22, 2017. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
32. ^ Sinclair, Brendan (November 9, 2021). "2K acquires Elite3D". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
33. ^ McWhertor, Michael (February 4, 2019). "2K opens new studio led by Sledgehammer Games co-founder". Polygon. Archived from the original on August 27, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
34. ^ Ivan, Tom (February 11, 2020). "2K's new 31st Union studio is making an 'ambitious and inspired original IP'". Video Games Chronicle. Archived from the original on April 27, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
35. ^ "About". Cat Daddy Games. Archived from the original on January 11, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
36. ^ Phillips, Tom (December 9, 2019). "New BioShock game announced, still "several" years away". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
37. ^ Carless, Simon (November 7, 2005). "Take-Two Acquires Firaxis Games". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on August 16, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
38. ^ Schreier, Jason (April 13, 2018). "How The Makers Of Mafia III Lost Their Way". Kotaku. Archived from the original on April 13, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
39. ^ Hruby, Patrick (September 18, 2018). "Inside NBA 2K's Journey to the Top of Sports Gaming". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
40. ^ a b c Carcasole, David (June 12, 2024). "Take-Two Now Officially Owns Gearbox Entertainment As Acquisition Closes". PlayStation Universe. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
41. ^ https://www.linkedin.com/company/mass-media
42. ^ Sarkar, Samit (April 15, 2015). "2K Australia is shutting down". Polygon. Archived from the original on July 2, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
43. ^ Carless, Simon (May 9, 2006). "E3: Take-Two Interactive Establishes 2K Shanghai Studio". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on September 22, 2019. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
44. ^ a b Makuch, Eddie (November 6, 2015). "Borderlands Online Canceled, Developer Shuttered". GameSpot. Archived from the original on February 4, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
45. ^ Sinclair, Brendan (January 4, 2018). "Have you seen these studios?". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on February 24, 2018. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
46. ^ "2K Hangzhou". 2K China. Archived from the original on October 3, 2014.
47. ^ a b c d Plunkett, Luke (January 16, 2012). "Every Game Studio That's Closed Down Since 2006". Kotaku. Archived from the original on June 2, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
48. ^ Kohler, Chris (December 17, 2007). "Rumor Roundup: What's Up With 2K Marin And BioShock". Wired. Archived from the original on February 24, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
49. ^ Schreier, Jason (December 9, 2019). "Sources: The New BioShock Has Been In The Works For Years". Kotaku. Archived from the original on December 10, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
50. ^ Bernstein, Rachel (2007). "History". Sidecar Studios. Archived from the original on March 20, 2007. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
51. ^ Pereira, Chris (February 23, 2017). "Former BioShock Studio Irrational Games Adopts A New Name". GameSpot. Archived from the original on September 10, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
52. ^ Thorsen, Tor (March 7, 2006). "PopTop folded into Firaxis?". GameSpot. Archived from the original on September 22, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
53. ^ "Venom Games to close?". MCV. July 2, 2008. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
54. ^ Wolens, Joshua (September 5, 2022). "2K's 'quality of life' change for BioShock is that Linux users can't play it anymore". PC Gamer. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
55. ^ "Marvel's Midnight Suns PC users are bypassing the 2K Launcher for better results". Eurogamer.net. December 14, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
56. ^ Woods, Sam (August 15, 2024). "Civilization 6 Finally Gets Rid Of 2K Launcher On Steam, Civ 7 To Follow". TheGamer. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
57. ^ "[2K Launcher] Complete Sunset". 2K Support. October 28, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
58. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (November 26, 2024). "The 2K Launcher Is No More — You Can Now Launch 2K's PC Games Directly in Steam". IGN. Retrieved January 15, 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Take-Two Interactive

2K|

| Current studios|

* 31st Union
* Cat Daddy Games
* Cloud Chamber
* Firaxis Games
* games
* Gearbox Software
* Hangar 13
* HB Studios
* Mass Media
* Visual Concepts

|

Former studios|

* 2K Australia
* 2K China
* 2K Czech
* 2K Los Angeles
* 2K Marin
* Frog City Software
* Indie Built
* Irrational Games
* PopTop Software
* Venom Games

Notable games|

* BioShock series
* Borderlands series
* Civilization series
* Duke Nukem series
* Evolve
* Lego 2K Drive
* Mafia series
* Prey
* Spec Ops series
* The Darkness series
* XCOM series

| 2K series|

* MLB 2K series
* NBA 2K series
* NBA 2K League
* NHL 2K series
* PGA Tour 2K
* WWE 2K series

|

Rockstar Games|

| Current studios|

* Rockstar Dundee
* Rockstar India
* Rockstar Leeds
* Rockstar Lincoln
* Rockstar London
* Rockstar New England
* Rockstar North
* Rockstar San Diego
* Rockstar Toronto

|

Former studios|

* Dhruva Interactive
* Rockstar Vancouver
* Rockstar Vienna

Notable games|

* Bully
* Grand Theft Auto series
* L.A. Noire
* Manhunt series
* Max Payne series
* Midnight Club series
* Red Dead series
* The Warriors

Technology|

* Rockstar Advanced Game Engine

Zynga|

| Current studios|

* NaturalMotion
* BossAlien
* Peak Games
* Small Giant Games
* Zynga Eugene
* Zynga with Friends

|

Notable games|

* Chess with Friends
* Clay Jam
* Drop7
* Empires & Allies
* FarmVille
* Gems with Friends
* Hit It Rich!
* Word Streak with Friends
* Words with Friends
* Zynga Poker

Technology|

* Chartboost
* Euphoria

Other|

* Ghost Story Games
* Nordeus
* Socialpoint
* List of games
* List of acquisitions

Former labels|

* Double Take Comics
* Gathering of Developers
* Global Star Software
* Gotham Games
* Jack of All Games
* Private Division
* Take-Two Licensing
* TalonSoft

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz label

|

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