Thanks to a new report by Jason Schreier of Bloomberg, we have learned that Take-Two Interactive abruptly cancelled their contract with independent studio Star Theory Games regarding Herbal Space Program 2 and attempted to poach their entire staff to join their new studio Intercept Games.
According to the report, employees of Star Theory Games received recruitment messages via LinkedIn from an executive producer at Take-Two Interactive saying that their current project was being pulled and that it would be developed under their new studio. According to Michael Cook at Private Division, employees that left for the new studio were offered “a compensation package that includes a cash sign-on bonus, an excellent salary, bonus eligibility and other benefits.”
This caused Star Theory founders Bob Berry and Jonathan Mavor to hold a meeting with all staff members that they were in discussions to be acquired by Take-Two Interactive, but did not agree to a deal due to a dissatisfaction with the terms.
Despite claims that the company still had money in the back and they would be shopping around for new deals, more than a third of the staff left the company within the next few weeks for Intercept Games. Then unfortunately due to COVID-19, the studio ran out of money and had to shut down.
