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The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Change Follows Poor Response

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer notified staff about this decision through an internal memo, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had indicated the requirement for a clearer direction.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now refining the project with a revised approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Strategic Hires

The news mirrors a similar action taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock development group.

Below is the full message from the president's communication:

Team—

I understand you all just finished your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and talented designers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to persist.”

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

The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It affirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but made clear we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the necessity for a sharper identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the input to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a revitalized vision - one that’s ready to fulfill its ambition to our audience.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS increases every day. To advance the incredible development you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Lead of 31st Union. After some time of discussions, he comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s management and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having devoted the recent years developing and leading some of the most well-known series in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in greeting him next week. We are all eager to keep seeing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to come.

The President

Experience 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 earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. Initially, 31st Union described the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative evolution on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch reads. "Face the rivals with new abilities, challenges, and obstacles that shift every round. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or go big, put it on the line, and trust your team can achieve the highest spot? The decision is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an official debut schedule or consoles, but players can anticipate further news as development advances.