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2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Comes After Poor Feedback

The new appointee assumes 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' disappointing early showing last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure updated staff about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a clearer game identity.

The president stated that the team is now overhauling the project with a renewed focus, aiming to better meet player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

The news follows a comparable move taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire message from Ismailer's memo:

Team—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a note, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and innovative designers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re excited for that relationship to endure.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was revealing. It affirmed the promise of a action-packed game but indicated we still had improvements to make. It revealed the requirement for a sharper vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the feedback to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s ready to fulfill its ambition to our audience.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To further the incredible development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce the new hire as the latest Director of 31st Union. Following several months of discussions, he starts with us on the specified date.

His leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having dedicated the past decade and a half creating and managing some of the most popular franchises in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in receiving Ben soon. We are all eager to keep witnessing the evolution of the game in the weeks to come.

David

Background of the New Head

The appointee presently holds the position of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

Project Ethos was unveiled in last year alongside a public demo. Initially, the developers described the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling evolution 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 suit your personal playstyle," the description explains. "Face the competition with fresh skills, stakes, and tests that change every session. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or aim high, gamble everything, and trust your group can earn top ranking? The option is in your hands."

Project Ethos does not have an announced release date or supported systems, but fans can expect further news as development advances.