2K Czech, s.r.o. was a Czech video game developer based in Brno. Founded as Illusion Softworks in 1997 by Petr Vochozka and Jan Kudera. The company was acquired by Take-Two Interactive in January 2008 and subsequently organised under the 2K label, becoming 2K Czech. The company was merged into 2K's Hangar 13 in 2017. The company is best known for creating the Mafia series.
History
Illusion Softworks
Illusion Softworks was established in 1997 in Brno by Petr Vochozka and Jan Kudera. The company succeeded Vochozka's video game publisher, Vochozka Trading, through funding provided by Kudera's Cash Reform fund. The team initially comprised only five people, including Vochozka and Kudera. The team would expand to 40 people by the release of Mafia in 2002. In September 2007, several Illusions Softworks employees left the studio to found The Easy Company, which went on to produce MotorM4X.
2K Czech
On 8 January 2008, Take-Two Interactive announced that they acquired Illusion Softworks for an undisclosed sum. As a result of the acquisition, Illusion Softworks became part of Take-Two Interactive's 2K label under the name 2K Czech. According to Take-Two Interactive's chief executive officer, Ben Feder, the agreement was made to expand the company's "strategic focus on owning high-value intellectual property". In July 2011, several people left 2K Czech, and along with former members from Bohemia Interactive, opened Warhorse Studios, which would produce later on in 2018. In September 2011, 40 staff members were laid off from the company's Brno studio, with another few personnel made redundant in its Prague studio. Both studios previously housed a total of 200 staff, wherefore around 25% of them had been cut in the layoffs. 2K Czech began hiring new staff by November 2012, and at the time had 188 employees. There were reported creative differences amongst 2K Czech staff regarding the direction of the third Mafia instalment which had started production between late 2010 and early 2011, with the project being rebooted around seven times between 2011 and 2013.
Succession by Hangar 13
On 10 January 2014, 2K announced that 2K Czech's Prague office was to close, and that 10 staff as well as the development of Mafia III would be relocated to 2K's headquarters in Novato, California, with the most other staff moved to 2K Czech's remaining Brno studio. Of an unrevealed number of laid-off staff, some were later hired by Warhorse Studios. Mafia III was later shifted to 2K's new studio Hangar 13, with 2K Czech receiving a supporting role. In 2017, the studio was merged into Hangar 13.
