Take-Two Interactive has announced the sale of its indie game label, Private Division, which is best known for publishing popular titles such as The Outer Worlds and OlliOlli World. This move comes after a summer of speculation surrounding layoffs within Private Division. The buyer and transaction amount have not been disclosed.
Take-Two’s spokesperson, Alan Lewis, explained that the company made a “strategic decision” to sell Private Division to refocus resources on Take-Two’s core and mobile gaming divisions. “As part of this transaction, the buyer purchased our rights to substantially all of Private Division’s live and unreleased titles,” Lewis added. This shift allows Take-Two to allocate more investment and attention to high-impact projects across its core brands and mobile games.
Private Division’s new chapter and game portfolio
The buyer of Private Division, while still unnamed, will inherit a variety of titles within the indie label’s portfolio, which includes upcoming projects like Tales of the Shire, a farming simulation game set in The Lord of the Rings universe, and Project Bloom, an untitled game developed by Pokémon creators Game Freak. Notably, No Rest for the Wicked, an Early Access title released in April for PC, will remain under Take-Two’s support, meaning the buyer will not receive publishing rights for that title.
Private Division, formed to support independent game developers, achieved a solid reputation with several successful titles. However, reports have hinted that the label has recently experienced a challenging period marked by underwhelming releases. Bloomberg highlighted Kerbal Space Program 2, which was criticised by fans for being bug-ridden at launch, as an example of Private Division’s recent setbacks. Despite these challenges, Take-Two’s leadership maintains that Private Division made significant contributions to the indie game market and believes the team will continue to thrive under new ownership.
Take-Two’s focus on major titles and large-scale projects
While Take-Two acknowledges Private Division’s accomplishments, the company’s CEO, Strauss Zelnick, indicated that Take-Two’s focus remains on larger projects that have the potential to become blockbuster hits. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Zelnick expressed appreciation for Private Division’s efforts, noting that “the team did a great job supporting independent developers and, almost to a one, every project they supported did well.” However, he pointed out that the indie projects tended to be smaller in scale than the major titles Take-Two is best known for, such as the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI.
The sale of Private Division reflects Take-Two’s strategic shift toward expanding its mainstream and mobile portfolios, likely driven by the rapidly evolving gaming landscape and increased competition in the industry. The move also aligns with Take-Two’s recent emphasis on core brands, including the Grand Theft Auto and NBA 2K franchises and its successful ventures in the mobile gaming sector.
While Private Division’s buyer remains unnamed, Take-Two is expected to reveal further details soon, offering more insight into the future direction of both the indie label and its projects. In the meantime, Take-Two assures fans that it remains committed to supporting the remaining title, No Rest for the Wicked, under its publishing label. This sale signifies the beginning of a new chapter for Private Division that could allow it to reach its potential under the management of a new owner dedicated to indie game publishing.
