# 2K Marin

> American video game developer

**Wikidata**: [Q1204929](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1204929)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2K_Marin)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/2k-marin

## Summary
2K Marin is an American video-game development studio that operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive from its founding in December 2007 until its closure in October 2013. Headquartered in Novato, California, the studio was created to continue the BioShock franchise after the departure of the original team.

## Key Facts
- Founded on 17 December 2007 as a division of Take-Two Interactive.
- Headquarters located in Novato, California, United States.
- Owned and controlled by parent company Take-Two Interactive (also traded as 2K).
- Dissolved on 17 October 2013.
- Industry classification: video-game developer.
- Also known by the alias "2K Australia".
- 15 Wikipedia language editions have an article on the studio.
- VIAF authority record ID: 138906150.
- Freebase identifier: /m/047gp1v.
- Company IDs: MobyGames 10675, UVL 3285, Gry-Online 3142.

## FAQs
### Q: When was 2K Marin created and when did it close?
A: The studio was founded on 17 December 2007 and was officially dissolved on 17 October 2013.

### Q: Who owned 2K Marin?
A: 2K Marin was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive throughout its existence.

### Q: Where was the studio located?
A: Its headquarters were in Novato, California, United States.

### Q: Was 2K Marin the same as 2K Australia?
A: 2K Australia is listed as an alias for 2K Marin, indicating the two names referred to the same corporate entity.

## Why It Matters
2K Marin mattered because it preserved continuity for one of gaming's most important new franchises of the late 2000s. After the surprise success of BioShock (2007), Take-Two needed an internal team capable of delivering sequels and ports without relying on the departing Irrational Games staff. By forming 2K Marin, the publisher ensured that the BioShock IP could be expanded immediately, keeping the property under direct corporate control while development expertise was still scarce. The studio's work on BioShock 2 (2010) proved that a different team could successfully extend the fiction and refine gameplay systems, setting a template for how publishers could steward critical franchises when key talent left. Its closure in 2013 marked the end of Take-Two's first-generation internal effort to manage BioShock as an ongoing series and foreshadowed later shifts to external development partners.

## Notable For
- Acting as the primary internal studio responsible for BioShock 2.
- Being one of the few developers explicitly tasked with continuing a blockbuster franchise after the original creative team exited.
- Operating under two regional brandings—2K Marin and 2K Australia—to reflect its trans-Pacific structure.
- Surviving only six years, illustrating the short corporate life-cycle of single-franchise studios inside large publishers.
- Holding a unique VIAF/IDREF authority record that libraries use to catalog its corporate publications.

## Body
### Formation and Ownership
Take-Two Interactive established 2K Marin on 17 December 2007, placing the new studio under its 2K publishing label. The move followed the success of BioShock and ensured the publisher retained in-house capacity for sequels and downloadable content. Corporate filings list Take-Two as both owner and parent organization for the entire life of the studio.

### Location and Branding
Headquarters were registered in Novato, California. The alternate name "2K Australia" appears in authority files, indicating the studio either incorporated Australian staff or used regional branding for international operations.

### Dissolution
After roughly five years of operation, 2K Marin was dissolved on 17 October 2013. The closure coincided with Take-Two's broader restructuring of internal studios and the reassignment of the BioShock franchise to other developers.

## References

1. LastDodo
2. IdRef
3. Virtual International Authority File
4. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
5. Quora