Take-Two forms new 2K studio led by former Perfect Dark reboot bosses

Grand Theft Auto publisher Take-Two has hired two of the key figures behind Xbox’s now-cancelled Perfect Dark reboot to lead a brand-new studio under 2K. 

The details:

• As first reported by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, former The Initiative studio head Darrell Gallagher and Perfect Dark director Brian Horton have joined the unannounced 2K studio as Senior Vice President and Studio Head and Vice President and Head of Creative, respectively. In a new post to LinkedIn, Gallagher described the new role as an “ambitious opportunity unlike anything I’ve taken on before.”
• Both Gallagher and Horton have decades of experience in the AAA gaming space, having previously worked across several major franchises, including Tomb Raider, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Call of Duty, Destiny, Hitman, and Deus Ex. The move comes just months after Microsoft shut down The Initiative and scrapped its Perfect Dark project amid company-wide layoffs that saw several veterans leave its gaming division.
• It’s said that the pair came into contact with Take-Two after the publisher reportedly attempted to rescue Perfect Dark, with the game having already been in development for well over a year at the time of its cancellation. These talks then fell apart, leaving the project unfinished after years of development issues and an attempt to start over in 2022 using Unreal Engine 5.