For most of its existence, Sledgehammer Games has operated in secrecy. The Foster City, Calif.-based game studio created by Dead Space creators Glen Schofield and Michael Condrey is five years old. But few visitors have been allowed inside the company’s headquarters and been allowed to write about it.

In fact, the building that houses Sledgehammer has no big sign out front saying so, and you won’t even find it listed in the building’s directory. But we recently got a guided tour of the Sledgehammer offices, where just about every work space is shared in an effort to promote collaboration. The team of 225 people is eager to show off Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, the latest in the multibillion-dollar game property. Schofield and Condrey led the Visceral Games team at Electronic Arts before they left to start Sledgehammer. They were enlisted by Activision to create a new Call of Duty experience. But after Infinity Ward blew up in 2010, Sledgehammer had to step in and help create Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

Then it began work on Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, the first game in the series to benefit from a three-year development cycle.

Here’s our photo gallery below.

Sledgehammer Games leaders Joe Salud (art) and Aaron Halon (design).
Sledgehammer Games founders Michael Condrey and Glen Schofield.
The view in the dark theater at Sledgehammer Games
The studio at Sledgehammer where you can play and watch Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare on a big screen.
The big meeting room at Sledgehammer Games
Sledgehammer’s team has a broad view of Silicon Valley.
Teams are organized by function, like multiplayer, at Sledgehammer Games.
The artists at Sledgehammer Games like dim light.
The entrance to Sledgehammer Games
Peek around the corner. You may see the unreleased Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare.
The obligatory Game Informer sits atop the table in the waiting room.
Michael Condrey and Glen Schofield left EA’s Visceral Games to start Sledgehammer five years ago.
There’s room to expand at Sledgehammer Games. Even with 225 employees.
The cafeteria is bright and cheerful, for an end-of-the-world kind of game studio.
Sledgehammer Games has lots of open space.
The work pods are shared to encourage collaboration.
Sledgehammer Games founders Michael Condrey and Glen Schofield.
Glen Schofield shows off his office at Sledgehammer Games.
The Sledgehammer team raised money for a veterans group via a boot camp event.
Sledgehammer team at Tough Mudder 2014 raising money for the Wounded Warrior Project.