Take-Two Interactive withdraws offer to acquire Codemasters

One of the biggest news stories last Fall was that Rockstar Games and 2K parent company Take-Two Interactive was in talks to acquire British developer Codemasters. Though nothing was set in stone, it was looking more than likely that Take-Two would succeed in acquiring the studio behind the ongoing Dirt and F1 series. However, things have taken quite a turn as it’s now been revealed that Take-Two Interactive is withdrawing its offer to acquire Codemasters.

This news comes courtesy of Business Wire, as the company reported on the move on January 13. Back on December 14, 2020, Take-Two Interactive was advised by the Board of Codemasters to withdraw its offer for the game developer. Take-Two would be entitled to do so if the proper meetings didn’t take place before December 22 or January 12. With the second deadline recently passing, Take-Two has opted to no longer pursue the acquisition of Codemasters.

When it was first revealed that Take-Two would likely be acquiring Codemasters, many saw it as the company looking to make a big splash in the world of racing games. Take-Two Interactive has some talented studios covering a solid range of genres under its banner, but core racing franchises are a bit lacking. Bringing in the team behind the well-received F1 series would have been a confident step in that direction.

With the Codemasters deal falling through, it’ll be interesting to see where Take-Two Interactive goes from here. Potentially, we could see the company turn its sights to another studio acquisition. For future updates on Take-Two as well as Codemasters, stay with us right here on Shacknews.