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2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Follows Poor Response

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the need for a more defined vision.

The president noted that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to better meet player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

The news follows a similar action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the full message from the president's memo:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative developers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re eager for that partnership to endure.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game demo was revealing. It affirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but made clear we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the necessity for a clearer brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the feedback to consideration and revamped the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s ready to fulfill its ambition to our audience.

The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To advance the outstanding development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of the team. After some time of discussions, Ben officially joins us on next week.

Ben’s guidance and experience in the competitive gaming genre is considerable, having dedicated the past decade and a half creating and leading some of the most popular franchises in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in welcoming him in the coming days. We are all eager to keep witnessing the development of the game in the weeks to ahead.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee presently holds the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in last year in conjunction with a early access event. At the time, 31st Union presented the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative 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. "Challenge the competition with new abilities, risks, and challenges that shift every round. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and pray your team can secure victory? The option is up to you."

Project Ethos does not have an confirmed launch window or supported systems, but fans can anticipate additional details as creation progresses.