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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Follows Mixed Response

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing initial reveal last fall.

Recently, 2K president David Ismailer notified employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a distinct direction.

The president expressed that the developers is now overhauling the project with a refreshed vision, aiming to address player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

The news follows a comparable move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire text from the president's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative designers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to persist.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the need for a clearer brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the feedback to heart and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s poised to achieve its promise to our audience.

The belief in this project strengthens every day. To advance the incredible progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the incoming Studio Head of the team. Following several months of discussions, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His management and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having spent the last 15 years developing and overseeing some of the most recognizable series in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in greeting Ben soon. We are all eager to persist witnessing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.

The President

Background of the New Head

The appointee currently holds the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in last year alongside a public demo. At the time, 31st Union presented the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling evolution on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the official summary states. "Face the opponents with new abilities, stakes, and obstacles that change every session. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or go big, risk it all, and pray your group can achieve the highest spot? The decision is up to you."

The game has not yet received an confirmed release date or platforms, but players can look forward to additional details as development continues.