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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the anticipated over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Transition Follows Mixed Response

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last autumn.

Recently, 2K president David Ismailer notified staff about this decision through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the requirement for a distinct vision.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now reimagining the project with a renewed vision, aiming to address player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Hires

This announcement follows a comparable step taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire text from Ismailer's announcement:

Team—

I know you all just completed your town hall - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that partnership to continue.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was revealing. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the need for a clearer vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You took the criticism to heart and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s ready to deliver on its potential to our fans.

Our confidence in this project grows every day. To further the outstanding development you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of 31st Union. After some time of talks, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.

His leadership and experience in the competitive gaming field is vast, having dedicated the last 15 years developing and leading some of the most recognizable franchises in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all excited to keep seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.

David

Background of the New Head

Brinkman presently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. At the time, the developers portrayed the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting step forward on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch explains. "Challenge the rivals with new abilities, risks, and tests that change every session. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively go big, gamble everything, and hope your squad can earn top ranking? The option is in your hands."

The game lacks an announced launch window or platforms, but fans can anticipate additional details as creation continues.