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The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to lead the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the forthcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Transition Follows Mixed Response

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last fall.

Recently, 2K president a key figure updated team members about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a more defined vision.

The president stated that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to better meet community desires.

Trend of Key Hires

The news echoes a similar action taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire text from the president's communication:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Previously I shared you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and talented designers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to persist.”

With your dedication and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was revealing. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had work to do. It highlighted the necessity for a clearer identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the criticism to heart and reimagined Project ETHOS with a refreshed direction - one that’s positioned to deliver on its potential to our players.

The belief in this project grows every day. To advance the incredible advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. After some time of discussions, Ben starts with us on next week.

His leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is considerable, having spent the recent years developing and overseeing some of the most popular franchises in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in welcoming Ben next week. We are all eager to keep seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the time to come.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman presently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in last year in conjunction with a early access event. At the time, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the description explains. "Challenge the rivals with new abilities, challenges, and tests that evolve every session. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively aim high, gamble everything, and hope your group can earn top ranking? The choice is yours."

The game does not have an announced debut schedule or supported systems, but fans can expect further news as production advances.