2K Acquires Studio That Worked On Diablo, Star Wars, Call Of Duty, And More Big Franchises

2K Games has acquired the creative artwork studio elite3d, which has done work on franchises like Call of Duty, PUBG, Star Wars, Hitman, Control, Metro, and The Walking Dead, among others.

elite3d, which is based in Valencia, Spain, will serve two purposes for 2K. First, it will become a sister studio to 31st Union. Second, it will become a new 2K Publishing office with a focus on global services, the company announced.

31st Union is one of 2K’s newest studios. It’s based in San Mateo, California, and is working on a AAA game under the direction and leadership of Michael Condrey (Dead Space, Call of Duty). The new team in Valencia will work alongside the developers in San Mateo and become “one global and integrated team across all disciplines.” The studios will lean into an “always-on approach for seamless connection and collaboration among colleagues.”

While some elite3d developers will begin to work for 31st Union, others will join a new team for 2K’s global services division. “They will join 2K’s internal team responsible for animation, art, motion capture, project management, game technology, talent casting, user research, visual effects, and more,” 2K said. “New team members will have opportunities to support established and new franchises, including both announced and unannounced projects; in addition, Valencia joins Global Services teams in London; Austin, Texas; 2K’s San Francisco Bay Area headquarters in Novato, California; and the division’s headquarters in Montréal.”

2K president David Ismailer said in a statement of elite3d, “The team’s work style and employee culture are also a great complement to our vision and values. We look forward to seeing our new colleagues contribute to the progress made to date by 31st Union and play a key role in the growth and development of Global Services for our current and future games.”

Condrey, the president of 31st Union, said, “Given our ambitions and the scope of our game, welcoming aboard an incredible team like elite3d was an unbelievable opportunity. We are honored to welcome Oscar, Jose, and everyone from elite3d into our development family and look forward to them enriching our studio and achieving our game aspirations.”

Additionally, 2K announced the acquisition of Turia Games, a studio co-owned by the founders of elite3d.

31st Union has not officially announced its first game, but job listings have suggested it will be a “multiplayer character-action game.” Overwatch lead writer Michael Chu is working at the studio.

Source: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/2k-acquires-studio-that-worked-on-diablo-star-wars-call-of-duty-and-more-big-franchises/1100-6497830/?ftag=CAD-01-10abi2f