2K is an American video game publisher located in Novato, California. The company was created in January 2005 as a part of Take-Two Interactive, using the sub-labels 2K Games and 2K Sports. The new company combined several game development studios owned by Take-Two, including Visual Concepts and Kush Games, which were purchased the day before. Initially, 2K was based in New York City but moved to Novato in 2007. In September 2007, a third label called 2K Play was added. 2K is led by David Ismailer as president and Phil Dixon as chief operating officer. The company also operates a motion capture studio in Petaluma, California.

History

On January 24, 2005, Take-Two Interactive bought Visual Concepts, the company that created NBA 2K, NHL 2K, and MLB 2K games. These games were sold under the Sega Sports brand. Take-Two paid Sega 24 million dollars for Visual Concepts, its Kush Games subsidiary, and the rights to the 2K series of games. On January 25, 2005, Take-Two created the 2K Publishing label, which included 2K Games and 2K Sports as sub-labels. In January 2006, some of 2K’s offices in New York City were damaged by a large fire. In June 2007, the company moved its headquarters to Novato, California, where Visual Concepts was also located. In September 2007, a third sub-label, 2K Play, was created to focus on casual games. Later that year, Take-Two partnered with Nickelodeon to make games based on its television shows. In 2007, 2K Play took over all games and materials from Take-Two’s budget publisher, Global Star Software, including Cat Daddy Games, Carnival Games, and games based on Deal or No Deal. In January 2013, 2K gained the rights to publish video games based on WWE.

Christoph Hartmann, who was the President of 2K, said he would leave his job in May 2017 after working for Take-Two for nearly 20 years. David Ismailer, who had previously been 2K’s chief operating officer (COO), became 2K’s new President. Phil Dixon, who had worked for Betfair, joined 2K as COO in November 2017. In September 2018, 2K created 2K Foundations, a program that helps communities and supports youth activities in areas that need more help. Since it started, many NBA and WNBA players have worked with 2K Foundations to rebuild more than 50 basketball courts at community centers for children in over 6 continents.

Studios

• 2K Chengdu is located in Chengdu, China. It was founded in June 2011.
• 2K Madrid is located in Madrid, Spain. It was founded in June 2021.
• 2K Sports Lab is located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in October 2023.
• 2K Valencia is located in Valencia, Spain. It was founded in 2005 under the name Elite3D and was acquired in November 2021.
• 2K Vegas is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. It was founded in 2006 as 2K West and changed its name in 2013.
• 31st Union is located in San Mateo, California, U.S., and Valencia, Spain. It was founded in 2019 as 2K Silicon Valley and changed its name in 2020.
• Cat Daddy Games is located in Kirkland, Washington, U.S. It was founded in 1996 and was acquired in 2003.
• Cloud Chamber is located in Novato, California, U.S., and Montreal, Canada. It was founded in 2019.
• Firaxis Games is located in Hunt Valley, Maryland, U.S. It was founded in 1996 and was acquired in 2005.
• Gearbox Software is located in Frisco, Texas, U.S. It was founded in 1999 and was acquired in 2024. Gearbox Studio Montreal is located in Montreal, Canada, and was acquired in 2024. Gearbox Studio Québec is located in Québec City, Canada, and was acquired in 2024.
• Hangar 13 is located in Novato, California, U.S., Brno and Prague, Czech Republic, and Brighton, England. It was founded in 2014.
• HB Studios is located in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was founded in 2000 and was acquired in 2021.
• Mass Media is located in Moorpark, California, U.S. It was founded in the 1980s and was acquired in 2018.
• Visual Concepts is located in Novato, California, U.S. It was founded in 1988 and was acquired in 2005.

• 2K Australia is located in Canberra, Australia. It was founded in 2000, acquired in 2006, and closed in 2015.
• 2K China is located in Shanghai, China. It was founded in May 2006 and closed in November 2015.
• 2K Czech is located in Brno, Czech Republic. It was founded in 1997, acquired in 2008, and merged into Hangar 13 in 2017.
• 2K Hangzhou is located in Hangzhou, China. It was founded in 2007 and closed in November 2016.
• 2K Los Angeles is located in Camarillo, California, U.S. It was founded as Kush Games in 1998, acquired in 2005, and closed in 2008.
• 2K Marin is located in Novato, California, U.S. It was founded in 2007 and closed in 2013.
• Frog City Software is located in San Francisco, U.S. It was founded in 1994, acquired in 2003, and closed in 2006.
• Indie Built is located in Salt Lake City, U.S. It was founded as Access Software in 1982, acquired and renamed in 2004, and closed in 2006.
• Irrational Games is located in Westwood, Massachusetts, U.S. It was founded in 1997, acquired in 2006, closed in 2017, and was succeeded by Ghost Story Games.
• PAM Development is located in Paris, France. It was founded in 1995, acquired in 2005, and closed in 2008.
• PopTop Software is located in Fenton, Missouri, U.S. It was founded in 1993, acquired in 2000, and merged into Firaxis Games in 2006.
• Venom Games is located in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It was founded in 2003, acquired in 2004, and closed in 2008.

Games published

• BioShock (available since 2007)
• Borderlands (available since 2009)
• Civilization (available since 2005)
• Mafia (available since 2010)
• X-COM (available since 2012)
• NBA 2K (available since 2005)
• PGA Tour 2K (available since 2018)
• WWE 2K (available since 2013)
• Top Spin (released from 2005 to 2011, and again since 2024)

• College Hoops 2K (released from 2005 to 2007)
• College Hoops 2K6
• College Hoops 2K7
• College Hoops 2K8
• MLB 2K (released from 2005 to 2013)
• NHL 2K (released from 2005 to 2014)

In 2022, 2K introduced a special game launcher for computer users along with improvements to make the BioShock games easier to use. This launcher allowed players to purchase extra content for games. However, it caused problems for some users on Linux systems, including the Steam Deck. Some fans of Marvel's Midnight Suns noticed the launcher affected the game's performance. After receiving complaints, 2K gradually removed the launcher from Civilization VI and confirmed it would not be used in Civilization VII. On November 18, 2024, 2K removed the launcher from all games on Steam and Epic Games' platforms.