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The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to direct the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Follows Lukewarm Response

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure notified employees about this decision through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the necessity for a clearer vision.

Ismailer noted that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to satisfy community desires.

A Pattern of Key Hires

The news echoes a similar move taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock development group.

Here is the entire text from Ismailer's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Previously I shared you all a note, I stated the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to continue.”

With your dedication and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game playtest was revealing. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had work to do. It highlighted the need for a sharper vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the criticism to heart and reimagined Project ETHOS with a refreshed direction - one that’s positioned to deliver on its promise to our fans.

Our confidence in this project increases every day. To boost the incredible progress you’ve made, I’m excited to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of the team. After a period of discussions, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and experience in the competitive gaming space is vast, having devoted the past decade and a half developing and managing some of the most popular series in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in welcoming him next week. We are all looking forward to keep observing the development of Project ETHOS in the weeks to ahead.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee presently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a early access event. Then, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting step forward on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the description states. "Take on the competition with new abilities, challenges, and tests that shift every match. Will you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Or go big, risk it all, and trust your group can secure victory? The choice is yours."

The game has not yet received an official debut schedule or consoles, but enthusiasts can look forward to additional details as production advances.