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The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Change Follows Lukewarm Response

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed employees about this decision through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the requirement for a more defined game identity.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to satisfy community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions

This announcement follows a comparable step taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock development group.

Here is the full message from Ismailer's communication:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative designers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to endure.”

With your dedication and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game demo was revealing. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the need for a clearer brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the feedback to mind and revamped Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s ready to fulfill its ambition to our players.

Our confidence in this project increases every day. To boost the remarkable progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of the team. Following a period of talks, he comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

His management and background in the competitive gaming field is vast, having devoted the past decade and a half developing and managing some of the most popular franchises in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in greeting Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to persist observing the development of the game in the time to follow.

David

Background of the New Head

The appointee presently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 together with a community playtest. Initially, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling advancement on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch states. "Challenge the opponents with unique powers, challenges, and tests that shift every round. Do you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Or go big, gamble everything, and hope your team can secure victory? The decision is yours."

The game has not yet received an announced launch window or consoles, but players can look forward to additional details as development progresses.