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The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Follows Poor Feedback

Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, 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 vision.

The president expressed that the team is now overhauling the project with a renewed approach, aiming to better meet community desires.

A Pattern of Key Hires

The news echoes a similar step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock development group.

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

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Previously I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that partnership to endure.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game playtest was enlightening. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the requirement for a more distinct vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the feedback to consideration and reimagined the title with a renewed direction - one that’s ready to deliver on its ambition to our fans.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the incredible development you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce the new hire as the latest Lead of 31st Union. Following a period of conversations, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s management and background in the PVP shooter field is vast, having dedicated the recent years producing and managing some of the most well-known titles in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.

Please join me in welcoming him in the coming days. We are all eager to keep witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to come.

The President

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman currently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously worked at major gaming companies in various production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 together with a early access event. Initially, the developers portrayed the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience 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 fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch states. "Take on the rivals with fresh skills, risks, and challenges that evolve every round. Do you leave securely with your collected items? Or aim high, risk it all, and trust your squad can secure victory? The choice is in your hands."

The game has not yet received an official debut schedule or supported systems, but enthusiasts can expect more updates as production progresses.