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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 crafting the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Change Comes After Mixed Response

Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at the development studio following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer informed employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a more defined game identity.

The president stated that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to address player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions

This announcement follows a comparable step taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the entire message from Ismailer's announcement:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your gathering - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and talented creators we have had the chance to work with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to persist.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game testing phase was revealing. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the need for a clearer vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the feedback to mind and overhauled the title with a renewed direction - one that’s ready to fulfill its potential to our audience.

The trust in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To advance the outstanding progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. After some time of discussions, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and background in the competitive gaming field is extensive, having devoted the recent years producing and overseeing some of the most recognizable franchises in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben next week. We are all looking forward to persist observing the progress of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.

David

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman currently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 alongside a early access event. Then, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the description states. "Face the opponents with fresh skills, challenges, and tests that shift every session. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and pray your squad can secure victory? The decision is yours."

The game does not have an announced debut schedule or supported systems, but players can anticipate additional details as production continues.