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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Comes After Poor Reception

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed staff about this decision through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the requirement for a more defined vision.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now overhauling the project with a renewed vision, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

The news mirrors a similar action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

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

Team—

I understand you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to continue.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game testing phase was informative. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had work to do. It uncovered the requirement for a clearer brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the feedback to mind and revamped Project ETHOS with a refreshed direction - one that’s positioned to achieve its promise to our players.

The belief in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To advance the outstanding development you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. Following several months of talks, he comes aboard us on the specified date.

Ben’s leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter field is extensive, having devoted the past decade and a half developing and leading some of the most popular series in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in welcoming him soon. We are all looking forward to keep observing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to come.

The President

Background of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman currently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a early access event. At the time, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling advancement on the category."

"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 game's pitch explains. "Challenge the rivals with new abilities, stakes, and tests that shift every session. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and pray your group can secure victory? The option is yours."

The game lacks an official debut schedule or supported systems, but enthusiasts can anticipate additional details as development progresses.