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2K Games has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Comes After Poor Reception

The new appointee steps into 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 lackluster initial reveal last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the requirement for a more defined vision.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to better meet community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

This announcement follows a similar move taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire content from Ismailer's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and creative creators we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that relationship to endure.”

With your dedication and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It validated the appeal of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the necessity for a more distinct identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the criticism to mind and overhauled the title with a renewed goal - one that’s ready to fulfill its ambition to our players.

The trust in this project strengthens every day. To boost the remarkable development you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of the team. After a period of conversations, he comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

His management and experience in the competitive gaming genre is considerable, having dedicated the recent years developing and managing some of the most popular series in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in greeting him in the coming days. We are all looking forward to keep seeing the development of the game in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Background of the New Head

The appointee currently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman previously was employed at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in last year alongside a early access event. Initially, 31st Union presented the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting advancement on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch explains. "Challenge the opponents with unique powers, risks, and obstacles that change every match. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and pray your team can secure victory? The decision is in your hands."

Project Ethos does not have an official launch window or supported systems, but players can look forward to additional details as production continues.