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2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Change Comes After Poor Feedback

The new appointee steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified team members about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a distinct vision.

The president stated that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to address community desires.

Trend of Key Recruitment

This announcement echoes a similar step taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the entire content from the president's memo:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and innovative creators we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that partnership to continue.”

With your dedication and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game playtest was informative. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It revealed the necessity for a more distinct brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the input to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s poised to achieve its potential to our players.

The trust in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To advance the outstanding progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome the new hire as the incoming Studio Head of the team. After a period of discussions, he officially joins us on the specified date.

His management and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having spent the recent years developing and managing some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in greeting him in the coming days. We are all excited to keep seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the time to come.

David

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee currently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 together with a public demo. At the time, the developers presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative evolution on the style."

"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 description reads. "Face the opponents with unique powers, risks, and tests that evolve every match. Do you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, gamble everything, and hope your group can achieve the highest spot? The option is in your hands."

The game has not yet received an official debut schedule or supported systems, but players can expect more updates as production continues.