The team leader was definitely fired, and it sounds like the entire team was laid off as well.
Rockstar Games and Take-Two reportedly carried out another round of layoffs. Unlike the usual practice in today’s industry, where people are laid off because a generative AI tool can supposedly replace them, this time they laid off the very people who were supposed to lead generative AI development. Luke Dicken, Take-Two’s former AI lead, wrote on LinkedIn that he was disappointed to announce that his and his team’s time at Take-Two had ended. His comment suggests that his entire department, or at least those who reported to him, were also laid off. However, it is unclear exactly how many developers were affected.
Dicken added that they had been developing cutting-edge technology to support game development for seven years. They know how to combine innovation and novel problem-solving approaches with strong product design skills to create systems that support people throughout the development workflow. Take-Two declined to comment on the situation. These layoffs are strange, especially since Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has tried to balance his openness to generative AI tools by asserting that it will not be the solution for creating successful games, especially hits on the scale of Grand Theft Auto.
“I’ve been enthusiastic about AI since the beginning. This company’s products have always incorporated machine learning and artificial intelligence. We’ve actually always been leaders in this field, and right now, we have hundreds of pilots and implementations across our company, including in our studios. We’re already seeing instances where generative AI tools are reducing costs and increasing efficiency. That said, do I think tools alone create great entertainment properties? No. There’s no evidence that that’s the case, nor will it be in the future. Specifically regarding Grand Theft Auto VI, GenAI plays no role in what Rockstar Games is developing. Their worlds are handcrafted. That’s what differentiates them. They’re built from the ground up: building by building, street by street, and neighborhood by neighborhood. They’re not procedurally generated; they shouldn’t be. That’s what makes great entertainment,” Zelnick told investors in February during a financial report.
In March, Zelnick further clarified the limitations that those who have bought into the promises of generative AI seem to be overlooking in an interview with The Game Business: “The bear case for big entertainment companies is that AI tools will allow anyone to create hits, but that doesn’t stand to reason. These tools may help you create assets, but they won’t help you create hits. The idea that new tools will allow someone to push a button, generate a hit, and share it with millions of consumers worldwide is laughable. It’s just never been the case with entertainment.” Currently, there are programs in music that allow you to input a prompt and receive a professionally recorded song. The song sounds good at first, but I defy you to listen to it more than once. They’re great for sending as birthday greetings to your partner, but that’s about it.”
If there’s one major publisher that can survive without placing as much emphasis on generative AI as other companies do, it’s Take-Two. It will likely continue to have one of the best-selling games in its portfolio for another decade or more, even if Grand Theft Auto VI is delayed again. Grand Theft Auto V would likely sell another million copies in the meantime. This is just one of Take-Two’s major franchises that tops the sales charts year after year.
