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2K Games has appointed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Follows Poor Feedback

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

Recently, 2K president a key figure notified team members about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the necessity for a distinct direction.

Ismailer stated that the team is now overhauling the project with a refreshed vision, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

Trend of Strategic Hires

The news echoes a comparable step taken by the publisher in August, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the complete text from the president's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just wrapped up your gathering - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative creators we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that relationship to continue.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you repeatedly show 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 uncovered the requirement for a sharper identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the input to mind and reimagined Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s ready to fulfill its ambition to our fans.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To further the incredible progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Director of the team. Following some time of discussions, he officially joins us on the specified date.

His guidance and expertise in the competitive gaming space is considerable, having spent the recent years producing and overseeing some of the most popular series in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in receiving Ben next week. We are all looking forward to persist observing the development of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.

David

Background of the New Leader

Brinkman currently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 alongside a public demo. Then, the developers portrayed the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting advancement on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the description states. "Face the rivals with unique powers, challenges, and tests that shift every match. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and trust your squad can secure victory? The decision is yours."

Project Ethos does not have an announced launch window or consoles, but fans can look forward to additional details as production progresses.