Take-Two Interactive, the company behind popular game studios like Rockstar and Gearbox, has recently reduced staff on its artificial intelligence team. While many in the video game industry worry that AI technology will cause layoffs, this situation is different. Take-Two’s decision suggests they might be scaling back their own AI development efforts, even as they cut jobs.
Take-Two Interactive, the company behind games like GTA 6 and Borderlands 4, has had a complex stance on artificial intelligence. While CEO Strauss Zelnick has assured investors the company is embracing generative AI, he’s also voiced concerns about its use in game development. Despite having an AI team in place since at least early 2025, the future of that team is now unclear.
Take-Two Has Parted Ways with Its Head of AI
Luke Dicken, a former Head of AI at Take-Two, announced on LinkedIn on April 2nd that he had been laid off. Dicken has worked in gaming for over ten years, previously building an AI team at Zynga. Take-Two acquired Zynga in 2022, and Dicken later became Senior Director of AI at Zynga before being promoted to Head of AI for all of Take-Two in 2025. Now, his position—and those of several of his team members—have been eliminated as part of layoffs. While the exact number of affected employees isn’t clear, Dicken’s post suggests a significant portion, and possibly the entire AI team, has lost their jobs.
Okay, so it looks like Take-Two just had some layoffs, and it’s a little weird. The CEO, Strauss Zelnick, has been kinda lukewarm on AI, even saying it was an “oxymoron” a while back and that they wouldn’t be cutting jobs because of it. Now that’s looking pretty ironic! They haven’t directly replaced anyone with AI, but they have cut jobs in areas related to the tech. Honestly, it’s hard to say if these layoffs are because of AI, or just a way to save money overall. Take-Two hasn’t really explained what’s going on, so we’re all just guessing right now.
Take-Two Interactive has a history of layoffs aimed at improving efficiency. Earlier in 2024, they closed Intercept Games, the studio behind Kerbal Space Program 2, and cut 5% of their workforce worldwide to save $165 million. While the company hasn’t commented on recent staff reductions, they likely represent another attempt to reduce costs as game development becomes more expensive and consumers spend less. It’s noteworthy that these cuts have specifically affected Take-Two’s artificial intelligence team, despite companies often turning to AI to reduce costs and maintain productivity.
The recent layoffs at Take-Two are puzzling, and highlight the complex relationship between AI and jobs in the game development industry. While some people might welcome a shift away from AI, these layoffs suggest that could come at a cost to employment. However, AI’s increasing use has also been linked to job losses. It’s difficult to draw firm conclusions about what these cuts mean for the AI debate without more details, but they are certainly unexpected and disappointing.
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2026-04-03 17:10