Take-Two Interactive is reportedly making big changes behind the scenes, as the company may be scaling back its artificial intelligence initiatives.
The news surfaced after former Head of AI at Take-Two, Luke Dicken, revealed via LinkedIn that both he and members of his team had been let go. While the company has yet to confirm the scale of the layoffs, the move appears to impact part of its AI division.
In his post, Dicken described the situation as a difficult and unexpected development, writing: “It’s truly disappointing that I have to share with you that my time with T2 – and that of my team – has come to an end.” He went on to highlight the work his team had been doing behind the scenes, adding, “We’ve been developing cutting-edge technology to support game development now for 7 years.”
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Dicken also emphasized the talent of those affected, noting that his team had been focused on building systems designed to improve workflows throughout production. While not much is known apart from Dicken’s LinkedIn post, it seems like the team affected was not a small or insignificant part of the Take-Two development ecosystem.
A Strategic Shift Ahead Of GTA VI?
The reason why these layoffs are significant is that the company is going through one of the most pivotal parts of gaming history. For those unfamiliar, Take-Two is the parent company of Rockstar, which is responsible for GTA VI, which is the most anticipated game in gaming history.
The company has previously expressed a cautious stance on AI, with CEO Strauss Zelnick stating that artificial intelligence alone could not create a game on the scale of GTA, reinforcing the importance of human creativity.
This could be the reason why the AI sector was cut off from Take-Two Interactive, but until more information is available, this is speculation at best. AI in gaming has always been a heavily debated topic. And maybe Take-Two just doesn’t want to be in the middle of that during the production of one of their biggest games yet.
It’s also worth noting that this isn’t the first restructuring effort from the company in recent years. In 2024, Take-Two laid off roughly five percent of its workforce and canceled several in-development projects as part of a broader cost-cutting initiative. This could be just another way to save costs.
Overall, this news kinda sums up the industry’s view on AI. Many think it’s a useful tool to supercharge development, while others think it destroys creativity. For now, Take-Two has not issued an official statement on the layoffs.
Published: Apr 3, 2026 11:39 am