TITLE: Localization Language Lead Italian
Who We Are
At 2K, we create some of the most iconic and culture-shaping video games in entertainment, including NBA® 2K, one of the top-selling franchises in the world, and legendary titles like BioShock®, Borderlands®, Mafia, Sid Meier’s Civilization®, and XCOM®, as well as fan favorites WWE® 2K, TopSpin®, and PGA TOUR® 2K. We build unforgettable experiences by pushing the boundaries of creativity, authenticity and innovation across every genre.
Our portfolio is brought to life by some of the most influential game development studios in the world. Visual Concepts, Firaxis Games, Hangar 13, Cat Daddy Games, 31st Union, Cloud Chamber, Gearbox, HB Studios, and 2K SportsLab create world-class experiences across platforms.
But what truly powers 2K is our people.
We believe the best ideas come from teams that feel empowered, supported, and inspired. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive workplace where people are encouraged to come as they are and do their best work.
What We Need
As part of our Global Loc 2.0 evolution, 2K is deepening its investment in language-specific leadership to improve the voice, cultural authenticity, and overall quality of our localized content. We are seeking a Game Localization Lead to own the linguistic direction and execution strategy for all Italian content across 2K’s game portfolio.
This is an individual contributor role within the Content Localization (CLOC) team. You’ll serve as the key Italian language authority, working with minimal supervision across complex projects. You’ll apply deep linguistic and cultural expertise while partnering with developers, producers, QA, and publishing stakeholders to ensure language quality meets player expectations and platform-holder standards.
What You’ll Do
- Own the localization strategy, quality bar, and final sign-off for Italian content across all 2K titles
- Review and edit localized content (in-game text, UI, scripts, VO) for tone, clarity, fluency, and cultural relevance
- Develop, maintain, and enforce glossaries, style guides, and cultural content policies for the Italian market
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams—localization producers, embedded LQA, marketing, publishing, and dev—to guide language decisions and alignment
- Serve as the main linguistic escalation point for Italian-related bugs, tone disputes, or QA challenges
- Supervise and provide feedback to entry- and mid-level linguists or vendors working on Italian content
- Consult with game studios and content owners on Italian age rating requirements, terminology usage, and visual/language compliance
- Lead VO casting, script review, and direct creative sessions during Italian voiceover production
- Regularly review in-development and near-final builds to audit for tone, consistency, and cultural resonance
- Recommend and help implement process improvements that improve quality, reduce error rates, or optimize turnaround time for Italian localization
- Participate in Global Loc 2.0 initiatives, working with senior leadership to shape evolving localization standards, practices, and tooling
What Will Make You A Great Fit
- Professional localization experience in games, tech, or entertainment
- Native fluency in Italian, with demonstrated mastery of tone, grammar, and regional nuance
- Advanced English fluency (written and spoken); capable of representing language decisions across global teams
- Proven ability to work independently on complex language projects, exercising judgment and creativity in ambiguous or conflicting situations
- Strong working knowledge of platform-holder guidelines, naming conventions, and brand alignment principles
- Comfortable overseeing or mentoring junior linguists and freelance vendors
- Familiarity with localization tools (e.g., CAT tools, translation memory systems, XLOC, JIRA, CMS)
- Deep understanding of Italian culture, media, and the Italian -speaking gaming audience
- Experience with VO scripting, dubbing production, and linguistic performance direction is a plus
- Bachelor's degree in translation, linguistics, media, or related field preferred
Why Join Us?
As a Game Localization Lead for Italian, you will directly shape how our players in Italy and other Italian -speaking regions experience our games. You’ll own language strategy, guide voice and tone across titles, and play a key role in 2K’s broader effort to deliver best-in-class localized content through a modern, embedded, and scalable localization model.
#LI-Onsite
As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to ensuring that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform their essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us if you need reasonable accommodation.
Please note that 2K Games and its studios never use instant messaging apps or personal email accounts to contact prospective employees or conduct interviews, and when emailing, only use 2K.com accounts.
Skills Required
- Professional localization experience in games, tech, or entertainment
- Native fluency in Italian with mastery of tone, grammar, and regional nuance
- Advanced English fluency (written and spoken)
- Proven ability to work independently on complex language projects
- Working knowledge of platform-holder guidelines, naming conventions, and brand alignment
- Experience supervising or mentoring junior linguists and freelance vendors
- Familiarity with localization tools (CAT tools, translation memory systems, XLOC, JIRA, CMS)
- Deep understanding of Italian culture, media, and the Italian-speaking gaming audience
- Experience with VO scripting, dubbing production, and linguistic performance direction
- Bachelor's degree in translation, linguistics, media, or related field
2K Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) plan and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan are part of the standard package as presented on the careers site. Employer-verified listings also confirm these retirement programs.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid parental leave, generous compassionate leave, and a companywide end‑of‑year break are highlighted alongside paid holidays and PTO. These offerings indicate broad coverage for time away from work.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Fitness reimbursements, on‑site/virtual classes, stocked kitchens, free or subsidized meals, commuter benefits, and dog‑friendly offices are widely cited, with some studios calling out mental‑wellness support like Headspace. These perks extend support beyond core insurance into day‑to‑day wellbeing.
2K Insights
What We Do
2K is headquartered in Novato, California and is a wholly owned label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO). Founded in 2005, 2K Games is a global video game company, publishing titles developed by some of the most influential game development studios in the world. Our studios responsible for developing 2K’s portfolio of world-class games across multiple platforms, include Visual Concepts, Firaxis, Hangar 13, CatDaddy, Cloud Chamber, 31st Union, and HB Studios. Our portfolio of titles is expanding due to our global strategic plan, building and acquiring exciting studios whose content continues to inspire all of us! 2K publishes titles in today’s most popular gaming genres, including sports, shooters, action, role-playing, strategy, casual, and family entertainment. Our team of engineers, marketers, artists, writers, data scientists, producers, thinkers and doers, are the professional publishing stewards of our growing library of critically-acclaimed franchises such as NBA 2K, 2K PGA, Battleborn, BioShock, Borderlands, The Quarry, The Darkness, Mafia, Sid Meier’s Civilization, Marvel’s Midnight Suns, WWE 2K, and XCOM. At 2K, we pride ourselves on creating an inclusive work environment, which means encouraging our teams to Come as You Are and do your best work! We encourage ALL applicants to explore our global positions, even if they don’t meet every requirement for the role. If you're interested in the job and think you have what it takes to work at 2K, we encourage you to apply!
Why Work With Us
We pride ourselves on creating an inclusive work environment, which means encouraging our teams to Come as You Are and do your best work! We push ourselves creatively to do the best work of our careers. We’re direct, open, and you’ll probably meet some new best friends – along with their dogs – sitting nearby. In short, it’s kinda awesome.
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2K Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
We are a blend of onsite, hybrid, and remote roles. Please refer to individual job descriptions for more details on location.
