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2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the anticipated over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Comes After Mixed Reception

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed team members about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the necessity for a distinct direction.

The president expressed that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to address player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

The news echoes a similar move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the BioShock development group.

Below is the full content from Ismailer's memo:

Team—

I know you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented designers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to persist.”

With your dedication and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The player input from last autumn’s the game testing phase was revealing. It confirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the need for a clearer identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the criticism to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s poised to deliver on its potential to our audience.

The trust in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To further the incredible development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce the new hire as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. Following a period of discussions, he officially joins us on the specified date.

His leadership and experience in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having spent the past decade and a half developing and managing some of the most well-known titles in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in welcoming Ben soon. We are all eager to continue observing the evolution of the game in the months to follow.

David

Experience of the New Head

The appointee currently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in last year alongside a public demo. At the time, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting advancement on the style."

"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 states. "Take on the competition with unique powers, risks, and obstacles that shift every session. Will you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and pray your team can earn top ranking? The decision is in your hands."

Project Ethos does not have an official debut schedule or platforms, but fans can anticipate more updates as development advances.