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2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Comes After Mixed Feedback

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure updated staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a clearer vision.

The president stated that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed approach, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

This announcement echoes a similar action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the full message from the president's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just completed your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative designers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re eager for that partnership to endure.”

With your dedication and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last fall’s the game testing phase was revealing. It validated the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the need for a clearer identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the input to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s ready to fulfill its ambition to our players.

The trust in this project strengthens every day. To further the outstanding development you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the incoming Lead of the team. After several months of conversations, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and experience in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having dedicated the past decade and a half creating and leading some of the most popular titles in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in welcoming him next week. We are all looking forward to keep witnessing the progress of the game in the weeks to come.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman presently holds the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in last year together with a early access event. Then, 31st Union described the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting evolution on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the description reads. "Face the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and obstacles that evolve every match. Do you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Or aim high, gamble everything, and trust your group can earn top ranking? The decision is up to you."

The game lacks an announced release date or platforms, but enthusiasts can look forward to further news as production advances.