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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Comes After Lukewarm Reception

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer updated staff about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a more defined vision.

Ismailer stated that the team is now overhauling the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

Trend of Strategic Acquisitions

This announcement echoes a comparable action taken by the publisher in August, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock development group.

Here is the complete content from the president's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and creative creators we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re excited for that relationship to endure.”

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

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It validated the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It revealed the requirement for a more distinct brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the criticism to mind and overhauled the title with a renewed direction - one that’s ready to achieve its ambition to our players.

The belief in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To further the remarkable advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of the team. After some time of talks, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.

His management and background in the competitive gaming field is considerable, having dedicated the past decade and a half creating and managing some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to persist observing the progress of the game in the months to come.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Leader

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

Game Information and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 together with a public demo. Then, the developers described the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person 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 states. "Take on the rivals with unique powers, stakes, and challenges that shift every match. Will you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, put it on the line, and pray your group can achieve the highest spot? The decision is in your hands."

The game does not have an official release date or platforms, but fans can expect additional details as creation continues.