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2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Follows Lukewarm Response

Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster unveiling last autumn.

Recently, 2K president a key figure updated team members about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the requirement for a more defined game identity.

The president expressed that the developers is now overhauling the project with a revised vision, aiming to better meet community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

This announcement mirrors a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire message from Ismailer's communication:

Dear Team—

I know you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and creative developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to endure.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It confirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the need for a clearer brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the feedback to mind and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized vision - one that’s poised to achieve its ambition to our fans.

The belief in this project strengthens every day. To further the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the latest Studio Head of the team. Following a period of discussions, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.

Ben’s leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having dedicated the last 15 years creating and managing some of the most well-known franchises in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in greeting Ben soon. We are all excited to keep observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.

David

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman 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 Call of Duty series, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 together with a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the description states. "Take on the competition with unique powers, stakes, and obstacles that evolve every match. Do you leave securely with your collected items? Or aim high, risk it all, and trust your team can secure victory? The option is yours."

The game has not yet received an confirmed debut schedule or consoles, but players can expect more updates as development continues.