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The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Comes After Lukewarm Reception

Brinkman takes on 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 early showing last autumn.

Recently, 2K president David Ismailer informed staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the need for a distinct game identity.

The president expressed that the team is now overhauling the project with a renewed vision, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Hires

This announcement follows a comparable move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the complete text from the president's communication:

Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and creative designers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to continue.”

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

The player input from last autumn’s the game testing phase was revealing. It validated the appeal of a action-packed game but indicated we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the requirement for a more distinct vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the input to heart and overhauled the title with a renewed goal - one that’s positioned to achieve its potential to our audience.

The trust in this project strengthens every day. To advance the incredible progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce the new hire as the new Studio Head of the team. Following several months of discussions, he starts with us on the specified date.

Ben’s management and experience in the competitive gaming field is vast, having dedicated the past decade and a half developing and managing some of the most recognizable series in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in receiving Ben soon. We are all excited to persist seeing the development of Project ETHOS in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Background of the New Leader

The appointee currently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 alongside a public demo. Initially, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative evolution on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the description explains. "Challenge the opponents with unique powers, challenges, and tests that shift every match. Will you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and trust your group can secure victory? The option is in your hands."

The game lacks an announced debut schedule or platforms, but players can expect more updates as production continues.