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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Transition Comes After Lukewarm Feedback

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed team members about this decision through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had indicated the need for a clearer direction.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to better meet player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Hires

The news follows a comparable action taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the complete message from the president's communication:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a note, I expressed 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 excited for that collaboration to endure.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the requirement for a clearer identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the input to consideration and overhauled the title with a renewed vision - one that’s ready to fulfill its promise to our audience.

Our confidence in this project increases every day. To further the incredible development you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. Following several months of discussions, he starts with us on the specified date.

Ben’s guidance and background in the PVP shooter space is vast, having dedicated the recent years creating and overseeing some of the most popular franchises in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in welcoming him next week. We are all looking forward to keep observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to come.

David

Background of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman presently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in various development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year together with a public demo. Initially, 31st Union presented the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling advancement on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch reads. "Challenge the competition with new abilities, risks, and obstacles that evolve every round. Will you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, put it on the line, and trust your team can secure victory? The choice is yours."

The game has not yet received an official release date or supported systems, but enthusiasts can look forward to further news as production advances.