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2K Games has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Comes After Mixed Response

The new appointee steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had indicated the necessity for a distinct game identity.

The president expressed that the developers is now reimagining the project with a renewed vision, aiming to better meet player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Hires

This announcement echoes a comparable move taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the complete content from Ismailer's announcement:

Dear Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your town hall - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and innovative creators we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to persist.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game testing phase was revealing. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had work to do. It revealed the requirement for a sharper brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the input to heart and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized vision - one that’s positioned to fulfill its promise to our players.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To boost the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce the new hire as the latest Director of the team. Following a period of conversations, he comes aboard us on next week.

Ben’s leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming field is vast, having spent the past decade and a half developing and overseeing some of the most popular series in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in greeting him in the coming days. We are all eager to persist witnessing the progress of the game in the months to ahead.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman presently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, prior to that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 alongside a early access event. At the time, the developers described the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the description explains. "Face the competition with unique powers, stakes, and obstacles that shift every round. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, risk it all, and hope your group can secure victory? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an confirmed release date or consoles, but fans can look forward to more updates as development advances.