Take-Two acquires Mafia developer

Take-Two has announced the acquisition of Mafia developer Illusion Softworks, rebranding the studio 2K Czech.

The team of approximately 200 will now join the US publisher, along with its wholly-owned franchises Mafia, Hidden & Dangerous and Vietcong.

"The acquisition of Illusion Softworks reflects our strategic focus on owning high-value intellectual property as we continue to expand our portfolio of triple A-titles," commented Ben Feder, CEO of Take-Two.

As well as working on Mafia II for Take-Two, Illusion Softworks also recently announced a next-generation title for D3 Publisher.

"Adding 2K Czech to our network of development studios demonstrates our strong commitment to creating great franchises and building world-class creative teams," added Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K.

"The 2K Czech team is responsible for several very innovative and highly-regarded franchises and we look forward to continuing to develop new and existing IP together."