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The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Comes After Mixed Reception

The new appointee steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last fall.

Recently, 2K president David Ismailer updated staff about this decision through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had indicated the need for a clearer vision.

The president noted that the developers is now overhauling the project with a refreshed vision, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

Trend of Strategic Acquisitions

The news echoes a comparable move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire content from Ismailer's memo:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a note, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and innovative designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to endure.”

With your dedication and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It revealed the necessity for a clearer identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the input to mind and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s poised to deliver on its potential to our players.

The belief in this project grows every day. To further the outstanding development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Director of the team. Following several months of conversations, he officially joins us on next week.

His leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is extensive, having dedicated the recent years producing and overseeing some of the most popular titles in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

Please join me in receiving him in the coming days. We are all excited to keep seeing the development of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.

The President

Background of the New Head

The appointee currently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously was employed at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting evolution on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch states. "Take on the competition with new abilities, risks, and challenges that change every round. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and pray your group can secure victory? The decision is in your hands."

Project Ethos has not yet received an official debut schedule or supported systems, but players can anticipate additional details as development continues.