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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Change Comes After Poor Response

Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster unveiling last autumn.

Recently, 2K president a key figure updated team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the necessity for a more defined direction.

The president stated that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to address player expectations.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

This announcement echoes a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the BioShock development group.

Here is the full message from Ismailer's memo:

Dear Team—

I know you all just completed your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a note, I stated the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative developers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to continue.”

Through your commitment and versatility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game testing phase was informative. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had work to do. It uncovered the necessity for a more distinct identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the input to heart and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to achieve its ambition to our audience.

The belief in this project increases every day. To further the incredible development you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Director of the team. Following some time of talks, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s management and background in the PVP shooter space is vast, having devoted the last 15 years developing and managing some of the most well-known titles in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in greeting Ben soon. We are all eager to keep seeing the progress of the game in the time to ahead.

The President

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee presently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 together with a early access event. At the time, 31st Union described the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting advancement on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the official summary reads. "Face the opponents with new abilities, risks, and obstacles that change every match. Will you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and trust your squad can earn top ranking? The option is yours."

Project Ethos has not yet received an official debut schedule or consoles, but fans can anticipate more updates as creation continues.