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2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Follows Lukewarm Response

Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the requirement for a clearer direction.

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

Trend of Key Recruitment

This announcement mirrors a comparable step taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire text from the president's communication:

Team—

I understand you all just finished your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a message, I stated the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative creators we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re eager for that relationship to persist.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It validated the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the requirement for a clearer brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the criticism to consideration and overhauled the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s ready to deliver on its promise to our fans.

The belief in this project grows every day. To further the outstanding development you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce the new hire as the new Lead of 31st Union. Following some time of discussions, he officially joins us on next week.

His leadership and background in the competitive gaming field is considerable, having spent the recent years producing and leading some of the most well-known series in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to continue seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to come.

The President

Background of the New Leader

Brinkman currently serves in the role of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 together with a public demo. At the time, 31st Union described the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the description reads. "Take on the competition with unique powers, risks, and obstacles that change every match. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and hope your squad can achieve the highest spot? The decision is yours."

Project Ethos does not have an announced release date or supported systems, but fans can expect additional details as development advances.