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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the anticipated over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Transition Follows Mixed Reception

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed staff about this strategic move through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the requirement for a clearer game identity.

The president stated that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to better meet community desires.

A Pattern of Key Hires

This announcement echoes a similar action 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 full message from the president's memo:

Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to persist.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game playtest was enlightening. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had work to do. It highlighted the necessity for a sharper brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the input to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s ready to fulfill its potential to our players.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To advance the outstanding progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce the new hire as the new Director of 31st Union. Following some time of discussions, Ben officially joins us on next week.

Ben’s guidance and background in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having spent the recent years producing and managing some of the most popular series in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in greeting Ben next week. We are all excited to keep witnessing the evolution of the game in the weeks to ahead.

David

Background of the New Leader

The appointee currently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. Initially, the developers presented the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting advancement on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary reads. "Face the opponents with fresh skills, stakes, and challenges that change every round. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and trust your team can secure victory? The choice is up to you."

The game has not yet received an official release date or consoles, but players can look forward to further news as development advances.