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

Management Transition Follows Poor Reception

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had shown the requirement for a distinct game identity.

The president stated that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to address community desires.

Trend of Strategic Hires

The news mirrors a comparable move taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the complete content from Ismailer's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Previously I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and talented creators we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re excited for that relationship to persist.”

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

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It confirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the need for a more distinct identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the criticism to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized vision - one that’s ready to achieve its potential to our audience.

The belief in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the outstanding development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of the team. After several months of talks, he comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and background in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having dedicated the last 15 years producing and leading some of the most recognizable series in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in greeting him next week. We are all excited to keep witnessing the evolution of the game in the months to ahead.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee presently serves in the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective 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! Customize your character in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch states. "Face the competition with fresh skills, challenges, and obstacles that evolve every match. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, gamble everything, and trust your team can secure victory? The option is in your hands."

Project Ethos lacks an official launch window or supported systems, but fans can anticipate additional details as production progresses.