Michael Condrey Joins 2K to Start New Studio
Michael Condrey, the co-founder of Sledgehammer Games and the now-defunct Visceral Games, is joining Take-Two Interactive’s 2K division to form a new studio in Silicon Valley.
As president of this currently unnamed studio, Condrey — whose past works include Call of Duty and Dead Space — will build and lead a brand new team to work on something big. Condrey has the experience of building large studios that make AAA games that generate billions of dollars in revenue. That’s a big plus for 2K.
“Great games come from the passion of a team driven by the pursuit of quality and the empowerment of an independent studio model,” Condrey said in a statement. “2K’s studios have creative and technical autonomy, backed by a world-class infrastructure of support, and that offers the perfect recipe to build a new studio and craft experiences that will lead the next generation of gaming for fans everywhere.”
Condrey left Sledgehammer Games last year alongside his co-founder Glen Schofield. During his time there, he worked on 2011’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, 2014’s Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, and 2017’s Call of Duty: WWII. Before that, both Condrey and Schofield created and popularized the sci-fi horror franchise, Dead Space while leading Visceral Games.
“At 2K, we offer our collective audience a variety of engaging and captivating entertainment experiences. We continually seek opportunities to empower and invest in the right people and ideas,” said David Ismailer, president at 2K, in a statement. “Michael’s unparalleled creative, production and leadership accolades are well-documented and deserved. We are greatly inspired not only by his passion but the potential for his new studio to complement our existing portfolio and development expertise. We welcome Michael to the 2K family and look forward to seeing our new Silicon Valley studio flourish in the months and years to come.”
“David and the dedicated people at 2K and Take-Two have an extensive history of rich and established brands, as well as a long tenure of executive leadership committed to supporting the ambitions of their independent studio teams,” said Condrey, regarding 2K. “Today’s announcement represents a rare and special opportunity for developers to help build and shape a new Silicon Valley studio from the ground up. I couldn’t be more excited, or thankful, to embark on this next step in my career.”
Other studios formed under the 2K Games label include Visual Concepts, Firaxis Games, Hangar 13 and Cat Daddy Games. Most people will recognize Take-Two Interactive’s name from Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto V.
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