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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Comes After Poor Feedback

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing early showing last fall.

Recently, 2K president a key figure updated employees about this decision through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the necessity for a more defined direction.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now overhauling the project with a revised focus, aiming to better meet community desires.

Trend of Strategic Acquisitions

The news follows a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire message from Ismailer's memo:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just completed your meeting - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative creators we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that partnership to endure.”

With your dedication and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game demo was informative. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It uncovered the necessity for a more distinct brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the input to heart and overhauled the title with a revitalized vision - one that’s ready to deliver on its ambition to our audience.

The belief in this project increases every day. To boost the incredible development you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the latest Studio Head of the team. After a period of discussions, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter space is vast, having dedicated the recent years developing and leading some of the most well-known titles in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in receiving him in the coming days. We are all eager to keep seeing the progress of Project ETHOS in the weeks to come.

David

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee presently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, prior to that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 together with a early access event. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling advancement on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the official summary reads. "Challenge the rivals with fresh skills, challenges, and obstacles that evolve every round. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, put it on the line, and trust your group can achieve the highest spot? The option is yours."

The game does not have an confirmed launch window or platforms, but fans can look forward to more updates as creation continues.