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2K Games has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Change Comes After Poor Feedback

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a clearer vision.

Ismailer stated that the team is now reimagining the project with a refreshed vision, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

The news follows a similar move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire text from Ismailer's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just completed your town hall - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and talented creators we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to persist.”

With your dedication and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It validated the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the requirement for a sharper vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the criticism to heart and reimagined the title with a renewed direction - one that’s poised to achieve its ambition to our audience.

The trust in this project grows every day. To advance the outstanding progress you’ve made, I’m excited to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. Following a period of conversations, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and background in the competitive gaming field is extensive, having spent the past decade and a half developing and managing some of the most recognizable titles in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in welcoming him next week. We are all eager to keep witnessing the progress of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.

David

Background of the New Leader

The appointee presently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman previously 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.

Game Details and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. Then, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling advancement 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 official summary states. "Take on the opponents with fresh skills, stakes, and tests that evolve every round. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and hope your team can achieve the highest spot? The option is in your hands."

Project Ethos has not yet received an announced launch window or platforms, but enthusiasts can anticipate additional details as production progresses.