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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Change Follows Lukewarm Reception

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at the development studio following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer notified team members about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a clearer vision.

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

Trend of Strategic Acquisitions

The news mirrors a similar move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the complete content from the president's communication:

Team—

I know you all just finished your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and talented developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to endure.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The player input from last autumn’s the game testing phase was informative. It validated the appeal of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It revealed the necessity for a sharper vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the input to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to achieve its potential to our fans.

The belief in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To boost the outstanding progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. After a period of discussions, he comes aboard us on next week.

Ben’s leadership and background in the PVP shooter genre is extensive, having dedicated the recent years producing and overseeing some of the most well-known titles in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in welcoming him soon. We are all excited to continue witnessing the evolution of the game in the time to ahead.

The President

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman currently holds the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 together with a public demo. At the time, the developers described the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling evolution on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch reads. "Face the rivals with fresh skills, risks, and obstacles that shift every match. Will you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Or go big, gamble everything, and trust your team can achieve the highest spot? The decision is up to you."

The game has not yet received an announced release date or platforms, but fans can look forward to more updates as creation advances.