2K (company) facts for kids
Logo since 2021
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | January 25, 2005 in New York City, U.S. |
| Headquarters |
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US
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Key people
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Number of employees
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~4,000 |
| Parent | Take-Two Interactive |
| Subsidiaries | See § Studios |
2K is an American company that publishes popular video games. It is based in Novato, California. The company was started in January 2005 as a part of a larger company, Take-Two Interactive.
When 2K was created, it was split into two main groups: 2K Games and 2K Sports. It also took over some of Take-Two's game development studios, like Visual Concepts. Today, 2K is led by its president, David Ismailer, and its chief operating officer (COO), Phil Dixon. The company even has its own special studio for motion capture, which is used to create realistic character movements in games.
Contents
History of 2K
On January 24, 2005, the company Take-Two Interactive bought Visual Concepts from another game company, Sega. Visual Concepts was the team that made the popular NBA 2K sports games. Take-Two paid $24 million for the studio and the rights to the 2K game series. The very next day, Take-Two announced the creation of the 2K brand.
Originally, 2K was based in New York City. In 2007, the company moved its main office to Novato, California. That same year, 2K started a new group called 2K Play, which focused on making casual games for a wider audience. This new group took over games like Carnival Games.
In 2013, 2K made a deal to publish video games based on the popular wrestling brand WWE.
A big change happened in 2017 when the president of 2K, Christoph Hartmann, left the company. David Ismailer, who was the COO at the time, became the new president.
Helping Communities
In 2018, 2K started a program called 2K Foundations. This program helps young people in communities that don't have a lot of resources. It builds and fixes up places for kids to play and learn. Many famous NBA and WNBA basketball stars have worked with 2K Foundations to repair over 50 basketball courts for kids all around the world.
Famous Games Published by 2K
2K is the publisher behind many hit video games that you might have played. Publishing a game means handling the marketing, selling, and distribution of the game after it has been developed. Here are some of their most well-known game series:
- BioShock (since 2007)
- Borderlands (since 2009)
- Civilization (since 2005)
- Mafia (since 2010)
- X-COM (since 2012)
- NBA 2K (since 2005)
- PGA Tour 2K (since 2018)
- WWE 2K (since 2013)
- Top Spin (2005–2011, since 2024)
The 2K Game Launcher
In 2022, 2K released its own game launcher for PC gamers. A launcher is a program you use to start games. The 2K launcher also let players buy extra content for their games.
However, some players were not happy with it. They said the launcher caused problems, especially for games played on Linux computers and the Steam Deck. Some fans of the game Marvel's Midnight Suns felt the launcher made the game run slower. Because of this negative feedback, 2K started to remove the launcher from its games. In November 2024, 2K removed the launcher from all of its games on PC.
Studios
2K owns many different game development studios around the world. These are the teams that actually create the games.
- 2K Chengdu in Chengdu, China
- 2K Madrid in Madrid, Spain
- 2K Sports Lab in Vancouver, Canada
- 2K Valencia in Valencia, Spain
- 2K Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
- 31st Union in San Mateo, California, U.S. and Valencia, Spain
- Cat Daddy Games in Kirkland, Washington, U.S.
- Cloud Chamber in Novato, California, U.S. and Montreal, Canada
- Firaxis Games in Hunt Valley, Maryland, U.S.
- Gearbox Software in Frisco, Texas, U.S.
- Hangar 13 in the U.S., Czech Republic, and England
- HB Studios in Lunenberg, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Mass Media in Moorpark, California, U.S.
- Visual Concepts in Novato, California, U.S.
Former Studios
Over the years, some studios have closed or been combined with other teams. Some of these former studios include:
- 2K Australia in Canberra, Australia
- 2K China in Shanghai, China
- 2K Czech in Brno, Czech Republic (which later became part of Hangar 13)
- 2K Marin in Novato, California, U.S.
- Irrational Games in Westwood, Massachusetts, U.S. (the original creators of BioShock)
See also
In Spanish: 2K Games para niños
