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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Follows Lukewarm Response

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming early showing last fall.

Recently, 2K president a key figure informed team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the requirement for a more defined game identity.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to better meet player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

The news follows a comparable move taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire content from Ismailer's communication:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just completed your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative creators we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to persist.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It confirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the need for a more distinct brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the criticism to heart and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s positioned to deliver on its potential to our audience.

The trust in this project grows every day. To advance the outstanding development you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. After some time of conversations, Ben starts with us on next week.

Ben’s leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming field is vast, having dedicated the recent years creating and leading some of the most well-known titles in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in welcoming him soon. We are all looking forward to persist witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.

The President

Background of the Incoming Leader

The appointee currently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 together with a public demo. Then, the developers portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative step forward on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the official summary explains. "Face the opponents with unique powers, challenges, and tests that change every match. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or aim high, gamble everything, and hope your squad can secure victory? The decision is yours."

The game does not have an announced release date or platforms, but enthusiasts can expect additional details as development progresses.