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The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Comes After Poor Response

The new appointee steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming unveiling last autumn.

Recently, 2K president a key figure updated employees about this decision through an internal memo, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a clearer game identity.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a renewed approach, aiming to address player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement mirrors a comparable move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire content from Ismailer's memo:

Dear Team—

I know you all just finished your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a update, I stated the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re eager for that partnership to persist.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, especially over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the requirement for a sharper identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the criticism to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s ready to fulfill its potential to our audience.

The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the outstanding progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce the new hire as the incoming Director of the team. After some time of talks, Ben starts with us on the specified date.

Ben’s leadership and experience in the competitive gaming genre is considerable, having devoted the last 15 years developing and managing some of the most popular franchises in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in receiving Ben soon. We are all looking forward to persist seeing the progress of the game in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Background of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman currently serves in the role of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year in conjunction with a public demo. Initially, 31st Union presented the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary explains. "Challenge the opponents with new abilities, risks, and challenges that evolve every round. Do you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and trust your squad can earn top ranking? The decision is up to you."

The game does not have an official launch window or consoles, but players can anticipate more updates as development continues.