GTA 6 parent company quietly sells publisher, leaving gamers furious

Yesterday, Take-Two Interactive - Rockstar Games’ parent company - held its latest quarterly earnings call.

It’s for that reason that many Grand Theft Auto fans thought we might receive an update on the highly anticipated GTA VI, given that it was on the day of last year’s November earnings meeting that Rockstar confirmed when the game’s first trailer would debut.

Technically, we did receive an update yesterday.

Rockstar confirmed that GTA VI is still on track for a Fall 2025 release, but it’s hardly the gameplay trailer many were hoping for.

GTA VI may be nabbing the headlines but it was also revealed during the call that Take-Two Interactive had sold beloved publisher Private Division.

It’s not known who the publisher has been sold to.

In a report, Take-Two said Private Division was sold so that the company could focus on the "core and mobile businesses for the long term".

The upcoming Tales of the Shire comes from Private Division.

Private Division has published some stellar games in recent years, including OlliOlli World, Hades, and The Outer Worlds, as well as being behind the upcoming Tales of the Shire.

I’m also a fan of the criminally underrated 2023 platformer After Us.

Interestingly though, Take-Two has purchased "substantially all of Private Division’s live and unreleased titles” so support will continue for No Rest for the Wicked, and Tales of the Shire’s release should still proceed as planned.

Still, it’s a move that’s generated some concern and disappointment from many in the industry.

“I hate this deal includes unreleased games. Selling off indie contracts is gross and traps indie devs,” wrote Twitter user Toadsanime.

“They were never going to win, they did everything right, above expectations even and still, it was never going to be enough. Why even found Private Division if you didn't want indie games?” added BasicalliLexi.

Both make excellent points.

All eyes will now be on Private Divisions buyer making themselves known.