Call of Duty veteran Michael Condrey started a new game studio temporarily called 2K Silicon Valley in early 2019, and now the studio has an official name: 31st Union.
The team has dozens of employees, including a number that used to work at Sledgehammer Games, the San Mateo, California-based studio that Condrey cofounded with Glen Schofield to make Call of Duty games. They made blockbusters such as Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and Call of Duty: WWII. Both founders left Sledgehammer, and they have started their own separate studios.
Schofield has created a new San Francisco Bay Area studio for PUBG Corp., maker of PlayerUnknown’s Battlefields. Condrey, meanwhile, teamed up with 2K, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive.
In addition to opening 31st Union offices in the Bay Area, the studio will also open a European office in Spain.
Michael Condrey, president at 31st Union, said in a statement that the studio is off to a great start with talented developers and an intentionally inclusive culture. He said the name and studio represent the spirit of California in its rich diversity of thought, art, music, innovation and cultural representation that have defined the current golden age of entertainment and technology in Silicon Valley.
Of course, California is the 31st state in the union. And it so happens there is a restaurant called 31st Union in San Mateo. But the company said the name is unrelated to the restaurant.
31st Union head of strategy Tyler Michaud said in a statement that the company is focused on a single new intellectual property and passion is the center of it. He said the team believes diverse perspectives and experiences are crucial to creating a truly global entertainment experience with a deep connection to passionate fans.
31st Union will be the fourth 2K-owned game development studio with multiple locations around the globe. In December, Cloud Chamber announced studio locations in Novato, Calif. and Montreal, Quebec, while in June 2018, Hangar 13 opened its third location in Brighton, U.K., which joined that studio’s offices in Czech Republic and Novato. In addition, Visual Concepts currently maintains offices in multiple locations.
David Ismailer, president of 2K, said in a statement that he is pleased 31st Union will scale internationally, as the benefits of this international approach for a single studio leads to broader recruiting efforts and an ability to attract the best talent.