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

Management Shift Follows Poor Response

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure updated employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a distinct direction.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to better meet community desires.

A Pattern of Key Hires

The news echoes a comparable action taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire message from the president's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just completed your town hall - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a message, I stated the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative developers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re excited for that partnership to persist.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game playtest was informative. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the requirement for a sharper identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the input to consideration and revamped the title with a refreshed direction - one that’s ready to fulfill its ambition to our audience.

The trust in this project increases every day. To boost the outstanding development you’ve made, I’m excited to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Director of 31st Union. After some time of conversations, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s leadership and experience in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having spent the recent years developing and leading some of the most recognizable series in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in receiving him soon. We are all looking forward to persist witnessing the evolution of the game in the time to come.

The President

Background of the New Head

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

Title Details and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 together with a community playtest. Then, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting 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 suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch reads. "Take on the competition with unique powers, risks, and challenges that change every match. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Or aim high, risk it all, and trust your squad can secure victory? The choice is yours."

The game does not have an announced debut schedule or consoles, but players can look forward to further news as development progresses.