2K Games

Lore & Background

On January 24, 2005, Take-Two Interactive acquired Visual Concepts, developer of NBA 2K, NHL 2K, and MLB 2K games that were marketed under the Sega Sports brand. Take-Two paid Sega US$24 million for Visual Concepts, its Kush Games subsidiary and the 2K series' intellectual property. On January 25, 2005, Take-Two established the 2K Publishing label including its 2K Games and 2K Sports sub-labels. The company took over some games previously to be published by Take-Two's Global Star Software label. In January 2006, some of 2K's New York City offices were damaged by a five-alarm fire. In June 2007, the company relocated to Novato, California, alongside Visual Concepts. A third sub-label, 2K Play, was established in September 2007 to focus on casual games. Later that year, Take-Two partnered with Nickelodeon to license games based on its shows. 2K Play absorbed all assets of Global Star Software, including the studio Cat Daddy Games, Carnival Games and games based on Deal or No Deal. In January 2013, 2K obtained the rights to publish video games based on WWE. Christoph Hartmann, former President of 2K announced his resignation in May 2017 after nearly two decades with Take-Two. David Ismailer, who previously served as 2K's chief operating officer (COO), was named 2K's new President. Phil Dixon, formerly of Betfair, joined 2K as COO in November 2017. In September 2018, 2K created 2K Foundations, a social impact program that builds community and youth engagement programs and spaces for underserved communities around the world. Since its founding, dozens of NBA and WNBA stars have teamed up with 2K Foundations to refurbish more than 50 basketball courts at community centers for kids across 6 continents.

In Their Own Story

The fluorescent hum of a publishing-floor office in the late afternoon. A producer flips through a quarterly roadmap binder, pages thick with partner-studio milestones—Borderlands DLC schedules, Mafia sequel timelines, a sports title entering certification. Across the glass wall, a colleague is on a call about retail shelf space at a major chain, arguing for a prominent position in the action section. The binder's last tab is labeled 'Market Context: EA Titles.' Inside, a single page: Medal of Honor: Warfighter, release window, expected units. Not a project of theirs. A competitor. A benchmark. The producer closes the tab, caps the pen, and turns back to the spreadsheet that will decide which partner studio gets the next greenlight. The franchise belongs to someone else. But the shelf it sits on, the audience it courts, the design language it borrows and pushes against—all of that is a shared language, and 2K speaks it fluently.

Reader's Guide

2K released a proprietary game launcher for computer users in 2022 alongside quality of life updates the BioShock franchise. The new game launcher gave players the opportunity to buy add on content for games. The launcher was criticized for breaking games on Linux, including on the Steam Deck. Fans of Marvel's Midnight Suns, felt the launcher impacted the game's performance. Following negative feedback, 2K began phasing out the launcher, removing it from Civilization VI and assuring it wouldn't be used in Civilization VII. On November 18, 2024, 2K removed the launcher from every game on both Steam and Epic Games' storefronts.

Did You Know?

• 2K was founded as a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive in January 2005.
• 2K moved from New York City to Novato, California in 2007.
• 2K operates a motion capture studio in Petaluma, California.
• 2K's third sub-label, 2K Play, was added in September 2007.
• 2K removed its game launcher from all games on Steam and Epic Games on November 18, 2024.