2K Silicon Valley, the studio formed in California last year by 2K, has been expanding over the last year. As of a new announcement from Take-Two, the company just opened a satellite studio in Spain to support ongoing work. And with the incoming launch of the next console generation, many publishers will be looking to staff up and polish up projects in time for the new consoles. So it stands to reason that many companies would be expanding ahead of time to make sure they are ready.
The new studio will be led by industry veteran Michael Condrey as he splits responsibility between the California mother studio and the new outfit in Spain. The teams between the two branches are made up of plenty of experienced industry talent. With more than 50 employees in the Silicon Valley studio, who have worked on projects with major companies like Visceral Games and Activision, there’s plenty of ambition and talent.
The first interesting thing of note is that the new name, 31st Union, is one chosen by the employees.
“The team ended up generating well over 1,000 potential names,” Condrey tells GamesIndustry.biz. “In the end, we chose 31st Union to represent the spirit of California — the 31st state to join the Union in 1850 — and our home in the San Francisco Bay Area. We live in an amazing place that is rich in diversity of thought, music, culture, and the arts, and it’s set against the backdrop of many great leaders in technology, innovation and interactive entertainment.”
According to the leaders of the effort, including head of talent Brooke Grabrian, the company wants its hiring and character as studio “to pursue a vision for sustainable impact that could change the landscape of development teams and, by extension, the games they create.”
As for what games they’re working on, we’re not sure, but we have a clue. The studio, according to a press release from Take-Two, is working on a new IP that has yet to be announced.
