Take-Two Interactive is a major player in the video game publishing industry, headquartered in New York City. The company publishes and distributes entertainment software through labels such as Rockstar Games and 2K, supporting high-profile franchise...
"I love the creative energy here — you’ll meet people who live and breathe games," says one developer. Another in QA notes, "You’ll get hands-on experience with huge titles, but expect busy periods." People often praise the quality of projects and the pride of shipping well-known franchises. At the same time you will read candid feedback about stress around deadlines and occasional long hours during crunch. Overall, testimonials paint a picture of passionate teams, talented peers, and meaningful work that can come with high intensity.
The company culture at Take-Two Interactive leans toward creativity, quality, and results. Teams are proud of recognizable IP and there is an emphasis on high production values. Collaboration across disciplines is common, and you will often find designers, artists, and engineers iterating together. The phrase "company culture at Take-Two Interactive" usually brings up respect for craft, a drive to polish products, and studio-level autonomy balanced with corporate oversight. While studios have their own subcultures, the broader vibe rewards ownership, attention to detail, and a player-first mindset.
Work-life balance at Take-Two Interactive varies by role and studio. If you are in a central corporate or non-production position, you will likely enjoy predictable hours and flexibility. For production roles, especially near a major release, you may see longer weeks and late nights. Many employees say "work-life balance at Take-Two Interactive" is reasonable most of the year but will be tested during milestone periods. The company does offer flexible schedules and time-off policies to help recharge after intense sprints.
Job security will depend on the project lifecycle, role, and performance. Creative studios can be project-driven: when projects wind down there will be more uncertainty. Corporate and support functions often enjoy steadier demand. The company will typically try to manage talent carefully, but market conditions and strategic shifts can prompt restructuring. It is wise to expect a degree of variability typical for the games industry.
Leadership tends to emphasize franchise growth, financial discipline, and long-term IP value. Executives will communicate a clear focus on product quality and strategic acquisitions. Corporate management generally provides resources and frameworks while letting studios execute. Communication is frequent via town halls and updates. Decisions can feel top-down during major strategic moves, but most leaders will be accessible and purposeful in their direction.
Manager experiences are mixed but skew positive. You will find managers who are supportive, mentor-focused, and technically strong. These managers will advocate for team members and push to remove roadblocks. Conversely, some managers are more delivery-oriented and will apply pressure to hit deadlines. Formal review cycles and 1:1s are common, and managers are evaluated on both technical results and people management.
There is an emphasis on practical learning: on-the-job skill building, cross-discipline mentorship, and sponsored conference attendance for eligible roles. The company will fund some training and encourage internal knowledge sharing. You will have chances to learn new tools, pipelines, and production practices, especially if you move between studios or product teams.
Promotions are available but competitive. Career progression will often require demonstrating impact across multiple projects, leading initiatives, and showing leadership potential. Internal mobility is encouraged; many employees move laterally to grow skills before advancing. You will find clear seniority tracks in engineering, design, production, and business functions, though time-to-promote can vary by studio and region.
Salaries vary widely by role and location. Typical approximations in USD:
Bonuses and incentives are common. There will typically be annual performance bonuses and, for many roles, milestone or launch bonuses tied to game performance. Senior roles may receive equity grants or RSUs. Incentives are designed to align teams with project success and long-term company performance.
Health and insurance benefits are comprehensive in core markets. Offerings will include medical, dental, and vision coverage, as well as mental health resources. Parental leave and disability plans are usually part of the benefits package. Retirement savings plans with company match are commonly offered. Exact benefits will vary by country and role.
Employee engagement includes launch celebrations, studio-level social events, hack days, and volunteer programs. Town halls and AMAs with leadership are regular. Game launches will often come with cross-studio recognition and parties. These events help build camaraderie and keep people aligned with the company mission.
Remote work support is generally good for corporate and certain production roles. The company has embraced hybrid models in many locations, offering equipment stipends and collaboration tools. Some teams, particularly those requiring specialized hardware or secure environments, will require more on-site presence. Remote policies will vary by studio and role.
Normal working hours will be around 40–45 hours per week for many roles. During development peaks and just before release, hours can spike significantly; temporary weeks of 60–80 hours are sometimes reported on production teams. Management will usually attempt to limit sustained overwork and provide compensation or time off after crunch periods.
Attrition is moderate and aligns with industry trends. The company will undergo occasional restructuring and targeted layoffs tied to strategic shifts or studio realignments. These events are not constant but do occur; employees should expect some turnover and the normal churn of a creative industry.
Overall, Take-Two Interactive is a reputable employer in the gaming world that will offer meaningful work, strong benefits, and career growth for motivated people. The environment can be intense during production cycles, but the tradeoff is the opportunity to work on high-profile titles and with talented peers. If you value creative impact, product quality, and learning opportunities, this company will be a solid fit. On balance, a fair overall rating would be 4.0 out of 5.
Read authentic experiences from current and former employees at Take-Two Interactive
Working on big-name franchises at Take-Two Interactive gives you creative impact. Strong mentorship from senior designers and lots of resources for prototyping. The company values craft and polish.
Crunch still exists around milestones and sometimes communication between studios can be slow. Promotions feel procedural but doable if you show results.
Strong engineering leadership, interesting technical challenges, and great benefits. Hybrid setup works well for me and the team is very collaborative. Plenty of autonomy and opportunities to work on big IPs.
Occasional corporate process overhead and some slow internal approvals. Promotions can be conservative compared to startup expectations.
Good learning exposure to AAA QA processes and tooling. Colleagues were supportive and I gained strong testing discipline working on live patches.
Long hours during crunch periods and contract pay wasn't great. Hiring and contractor conversion felt inconsistent across teams.
Great brand recognition and the chance to launch titles with big budgets. Cross-functional teams are talented and willing to collaborate. Flexible policy helped me balance family and work.
Salary growth and promotion cadence can be slow, especially across international studios. Sometimes decisions are centralized which delays marketing plans.
