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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Follows Lukewarm Reception

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last autumn.

Recently, 2K president a key figure notified employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had revealed the requirement for a distinct vision.

The president noted that the team is now overhauling the project with a renewed focus, aiming to address community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

The news follows a similar move taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the complete message from Ismailer's communication:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a note, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that relationship to endure.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game testing phase was revealing. It affirmed the promise of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the need for a clearer identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the criticism to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s ready to fulfill its promise to our fans.

The belief in this project strengthens every day. To further the incredible advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce the new hire as the new Lead of the team. Following some time of talks, Ben starts with us on next week.

His management and expertise in the competitive gaming field is considerable, having spent the recent years creating and leading some of the most well-known series in gaming, for example the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben next week. We are all eager to keep seeing the development of the game in the weeks to come.

David

Background of the New Head

The appointee currently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 together with a public demo. Initially, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting evolution on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary reads. "Challenge the rivals with unique powers, challenges, and challenges that change every match. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively take a risk, put it on the line, and pray your team can earn top ranking? The decision is in your hands."

Project Ethos lacks an confirmed debut schedule or consoles, but players can anticipate further news as production continues.