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2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Change Follows Poor Feedback

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer updated team members about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the necessity for a clearer direction.

The president expressed that the team is now refining the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to address community desires.

Trend of Strategic Hires

This announcement mirrors a comparable step taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire message from the president's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just wrapped up your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and talented designers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to endure.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last autumn’s the game demo was revealing. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the requirement for a more distinct vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the input to mind and revamped the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s ready to achieve its potential to our audience.

The trust in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To further the incredible progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce the new hire as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. Following some time of conversations, Ben comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and background in the competitive gaming field is vast, having spent the past decade and a half producing and leading some of the most well-known franchises in gaming, for example the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in greeting him in the coming days. We are all eager to persist seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.

The President

Background of the New Head

The appointee presently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

Project Ethos was revealed in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative evolution on the style."

"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 reads. "Face the rivals with new abilities, stakes, and obstacles that evolve every round. Do you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and hope your squad can achieve the highest spot? The option is in your hands."

Project Ethos lacks an official debut schedule or platforms, but fans can look forward to more updates as development progresses.