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2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Change Comes After Mixed Reception

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer informed staff about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the requirement for a clearer game identity.

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

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

The news mirrors a similar move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the complete content from Ismailer's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just completed your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative designers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re eager for that partnership to continue.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It validated the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the need for a more distinct identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You took the feedback to consideration and reimagined the title with a renewed direction - one that’s ready to deliver on its promise to our audience.

The belief in this project strengthens every day. To advance the outstanding progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. After some time of discussions, Ben starts with us on next week.

His management and background in the competitive gaming space is considerable, having dedicated the recent years creating and managing some of the most well-known titles in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in greeting Ben soon. We are all excited to keep observing the evolution of the game in the months to follow.

David

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman presently serves in the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman previously was employed at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Concept

Project Ethos was unveiled in last year together with a public demo. Then, 31st Union described the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative step forward on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary explains. "Face the opponents with new abilities, risks, and challenges that change every session. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or go big, risk it all, and trust your group can earn top ranking? The decision is in your hands."

Project Ethos has not yet received an announced launch window or platforms, but fans can expect more updates as production progresses.