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The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Comes After Lukewarm Feedback

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing initial reveal last autumn.

Recently, 2K president a key figure notified staff about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the requirement for a distinct direction.

The president stated that the developers is now reimagining the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions

This announcement follows a similar step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the complete content from the president's announcement:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just finished your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and creative designers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to continue.”

With your dedication and versatility, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last autumn’s the game testing phase was enlightening. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the necessity for a sharper vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the criticism to consideration and reimagined the title with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to achieve its ambition to our audience.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To further the incredible advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of the team. After a period of talks, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s leadership and background in the PVP shooter genre is extensive, having devoted the past decade and a half creating and overseeing some of the most popular titles in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all excited to keep witnessing the progress of the game in the weeks to come.

David

Experience of the New Leader

Brinkman presently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Concept

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 alongside a early access event. Then, the developers portrayed the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative step forward on the style."

"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 reads. "Face the competition with new abilities, risks, and tests that evolve every round. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and pray your group can earn top ranking? The option is yours."

The game lacks an announced launch window or consoles, but players can look forward to additional details as production progresses.