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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Follows Poor Reception

The new appointee steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer updated team members about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the requirement for a more defined direction.

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

Trend of Key Recruitment

This announcement echoes a comparable step taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock development group.

Here is the full content from Ismailer's communication:

Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a note, I stated the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative developers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to persist.”

With your dedication and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It confirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the necessity for a clearer brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the feedback to heart and reimagined the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s positioned to fulfill its potential to our fans.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To advance the outstanding progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce the new hire as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. Following several months of discussions, he comes aboard us on next week.

His guidance and experience in the competitive gaming space is extensive, having dedicated the recent years creating and overseeing some of the most popular franchises in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in greeting Ben soon. We are all eager to keep witnessing the evolution of the game in the time to follow.

The President

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee currently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year alongside a early access event. At the time, the developers presented the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary explains. "Face the rivals with unique powers, risks, and challenges that evolve every round. Do you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Or go big, put it on the line, and hope your group can secure victory? The choice is yours."

The game lacks an confirmed launch window or platforms, but fans can look forward to further news as creation advances.