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2K Games has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Comes After Lukewarm Response

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer updated team members about this strategic move through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a distinct direction.

The president noted that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to better meet player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Acquisitions

The news echoes a comparable step taken by the publisher in August, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the full text from Ismailer's memo:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a message, I stated the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative developers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to persist.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last autumn’s the game demo was revealing. It validated the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the requirement for a sharper brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the feedback to consideration and overhauled the title with a renewed vision - one that’s positioned to fulfill its ambition to our fans.

The belief in this project increases every day. To further the outstanding progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of the team. Following several months of discussions, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and experience in the competitive gaming field is vast, having spent the last 15 years creating and managing some of the most well-known titles in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in receiving Ben soon. We are all eager to continue witnessing the evolution of the game in the time to ahead.

David

Background of the New Head

Brinkman presently serves in the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 together with a community playtest. Initially, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling evolution on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the description explains. "Face the competition with new abilities, challenges, and obstacles that evolve every match. Will you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Or take a risk, risk it all, and trust your team can achieve the highest spot? The decision is yours."

The game lacks an announced release date or consoles, but fans can look forward to more updates as development continues.