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2K Games has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Follows Mixed Response

The new appointee steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified team members about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had indicated the need for a more defined game identity.

The president noted that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

The news echoes a comparable action taken by the publisher in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire content from Ismailer's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. 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 opportunity to partner with - and we’re excited for that relationship to continue.”

With your dedication and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game testing phase was enlightening. It affirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the requirement for a clearer identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the criticism to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized direction - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our audience.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To further the incredible progress you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Studio Head of 31st Union. Following a period of discussions, he officially joins us on next week.

Ben’s guidance and background in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having spent the recent years creating and leading some of the most recognizable series in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in receiving Ben next week. We are all eager to continue seeing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.

David

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman presently holds the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 in conjunction with a early access event. Then, 31st Union described the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative advancement on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the description reads. "Take on the opponents with new abilities, risks, and challenges that shift every match. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and trust your squad can secure victory? The option is in your hands."

Project Ethos does not have an announced debut schedule or consoles, but players can anticipate more updates as production advances.