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The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Comes After Poor Response

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure updated staff about this decision through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a clearer game identity.

Ismailer noted that the team is now reimagining the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

The news echoes a similar move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock development group.

Here is the full message from Ismailer's announcement:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative creators we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to persist.”

Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It confirmed the potential 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 come. You embraced the feedback to mind and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s ready to achieve its potential to our players.

The trust in this project increases every day. To further the remarkable advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of 31st Union. Following several months of discussions, he comes aboard us on next week.

His management and background in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having devoted the past decade and a half producing and managing some of the most popular titles in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in greeting him in the coming days. We are all eager to keep witnessing the progress of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman presently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a early access event. Then, the developers presented the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter 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 real-time to match your preferred approach," the description reads. "Challenge the competition with unique powers, risks, and obstacles that change every session. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and pray your team can earn top ranking? The decision is in your hands."

The game has not yet received an confirmed launch window or consoles, but players can anticipate additional details as development progresses.