31st Union

31st Union is a video game development studio of 2K based in San Mateo, California. It was founded in February 2019, then provisionally named 2K Silicon Valley, with Sledgehammer Games co-founder Michael Condrey as its lead.[1]

31st Union
Formerly
2K Silicon Valley (2019–2020)
Division
Industryvideo game industry 
FoundedFebruary 4, 2019 (February 4, 2019)
Headquarters
San Mateo, California
,
US
Number of locations
2 studios (2020)
Key people
Michael Condrey
Parent2K
Websitethirtyfirstunion.com

2K announced in February 2020 that the studio was officially named 31st Union, a nod to its San Francisco Bay Area roots and based on California being the 31st state to join the United States. Condrey said in the announcement that the studio's ideals reflected the diversity of California's and Silicon Valley's spirit of innovation in art, technology, and entertainment and cultural representation.[2] Condrey had committed to establishing the culture of this studio on its founding, calling it "a clean canvas", and stressed the importance of diversity[3] in the creative process.[4] In addition to the new branding, 2K also announced plans to open a second studio for 31st Union in Spain.[2]

The current Silicon Valley studio, in addition to Condrey, includes several dozen former Call of Duty / Sledgehammer Games and Dead Space / Visceral Games developers.[2] The studio, as of February 2020, was working on a "ambitious and inspired new IP",[5] and which was to be revealed within 2020, according to 2K.[6]

In July 2020, 31st Union announced the addition of Michael Chu, Narrative Director to its leadership team. Michael Chu was previously leading Narrative on the popular Overwatch franchise.[7]

References
  1. Crecente, Brian (February 4, 2019). "Sledgehammer Games Co-Founder Opens New 2K Game Studio". Variety. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  2. Takahashi, Dean (February 11, 2020). "2K Silicon Valley's official studio name will be 31st Union". Venture Beat. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  3. "2K Silicon Valley studio becomes 31st Union and expands to Spain". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 2020-08-03.
  4. Dring, Christopher (February 4, 2019). "Take-Two hires games veteran Michael Condrey to form new, diverse studio". Venture Beat. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  5. Ivan, Tom (February 11, 2020). "2K's new 31st Union studio is making an 'ambitious and inspired original IP'". Video Games Chronicle. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  6. Saed, Sharif (February 7, 2020). "Mafia 3 dev's next game and 2K Silicon Valley's first project will be unveiled in the coming months". VG247. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  7. Chu, Michael. "Op-Ed: Game development in a time of upheaval". gamasutra.com. Retrieved 2020-08-03.
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