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The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Transition Follows Mixed Reception

The new appointee steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure updated employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a more defined game identity.

The president expressed that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to satisfy community desires.

A Pattern of Key Hires

This announcement echoes a comparable step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire message from the president's memo:

Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and talented developers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re eager for that partnership to continue.”

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

The player input from last autumn’s the game playtest was informative. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It revealed the requirement for a sharper identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the feedback to mind and reimagined the title with a refreshed direction - one that’s ready to fulfill its promise to our players.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To boost the remarkable progress you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. Following some time of conversations, Ben starts with us on the specified date.

His management and experience in the competitive gaming space is vast, having spent the last 15 years creating and leading some of the most popular series in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in welcoming Ben next week. We are all excited to persist witnessing the development of the game in the months to ahead.

The President

Experience of the New Head

The appointee presently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 alongside a early access event. Initially, the developers presented the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the description reads. "Face the rivals with unique powers, risks, and obstacles that shift every round. Will you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and hope your squad can achieve the highest spot? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos does not have an announced release date or supported systems, but fans can anticipate more updates as development advances.