Like poetry: Take-Two fires its AI department to cut costs

Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar Games’ owner, is laying off its head of AI and the majority of its AI department following an apparent cost-cutting initiative, months after its chief executive doubled down on generative technologies.

As per Dexerto, it was Lucke Dicken, the AI department chief in question, who broke the news via a LinkedIn post last night. “It’s truly disappointing that I have to share with you that my time with T2—and that of my team—has come to an end,” Dicken wrote.

According to Dicken, people working in “procedural content for games,” “machine learning,” and other, more technical AI-adjacent technologies were affected by the layoff. Though he doesn’t clearly state how many people were let go from the company, it seems to have been the entire AI department, or at least the majority of its staff.

Take-Two chief executive Strauss Zelnick was a huge proponent of generative AI prior to these layoffs. He expressed his full support for the technology a few months ago, particularly praising its potential to “reduce costs” and increase workplace efficiency. Now, it seems the tables have turned. It could be that Take-Two gave its sincere attention to AI and found that, instead of reducing headaches, it induced them and wasn’t worth the trouble in the long run.

That’s pure speculation, though, but I’m fairly certain that this AI department was very expensive to maintain and develop, especially considering the current state of the tech landscape. AI companies are now scrambling to find more funding and use cases and are becoming a lot more liable than ever before, which could be driving their corporate users to reconsider if and how they’ll utilize these novel solutions.

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There’s a unique way to become Jesus (not in the literal sense) in Crimson Desert with the help of Vaporwalker boots, as it allows you to walk over water. You can use these boots to tread across shallow water bodies, and they can also allow you to glide over deeper sections.

Let’s find out how you can get these boots in Pywel.

Vaporwalker boots in Crimson Desert

The Vaporwalker boots can be found inside a chest that’s hidden in the Ancient Heart cave. You’ll need to unlock the Pailune region. Then, you’ll need to reach the Ancient Rift. Approach the cliff from the top and then drop down. Use your flight ability to glide towards a nearby waterfall (location marked on the image above).

Drop on either bank near the midpoint of the waterfall since that’s the entry point. Once you land on the entrance, you’ll need to get through the waterfall. We have a detailed guide on how you can enter a waterfall. In simple words, use a stab attack to go through.

How to get and use the Vaporwalker boots in Crimson Desert

Once you’re past the waterfalls, head inside the cave. You’ll soon come across a breakable wall that can be destroyed with your Force Palm ability. Once you’re through, you’ll find the chest that contains the boots.

Here are the stats of the boots.

• Attack: 16
• Defense: 5
• Refinement: N/A
• Unique Skill: Skipping Stones

Once you’ve equipped the boots, you can activate their ability by pressing the LS/L3/C button. If you time your move right, it will help you glide along the surface. If you’re in shallow water, you should be able to move across without any problem. You can also use it to cross rivers, but the timing has to be impeccable.

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