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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Comes After Poor Feedback

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer updated team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the need for a clearer vision.

The president expressed that the team is now overhauling the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to better meet player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

This announcement follows a comparable action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the full message from the president's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to continue.”

Given your hard work and versatility, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last fall’s the game testing phase was revealing. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the need for a more distinct vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the feedback to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s ready to fulfill its promise to our fans.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To further the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce the new hire as the latest Lead of the team. Following some time of discussions, Ben comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter field is extensive, having dedicated the recent years creating and overseeing some of the most recognizable titles in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in greeting Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to continue observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman presently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He previously was employed at major gaming companies in various development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in last year alongside a early access event. Then, 31st Union described the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative step forward on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the description explains. "Challenge the opponents with unique powers, stakes, and tests that evolve every match. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or go big, gamble everything, and trust your group can secure victory? The decision is up to you."

The game has not yet received an official launch window or platforms, but fans can expect more updates as development continues.