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The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Transition Follows Mixed Reception

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure notified staff about this decision through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the requirement for a more defined vision.

The president stated that the developers is now overhauling the project with a revised vision, aiming to address player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Hires

This announcement mirrors a similar step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the entire content from the president's memo:

Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a note, I stated the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative developers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re eager for that partnership to continue.”

With your dedication and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game demo was enlightening. It validated the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the need for a sharper brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the input to mind and reimagined the title with a renewed direction - one that’s ready to fulfill its promise to our players.

The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To advance the remarkable development you’ve made, I’m excited to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. After a period of conversations, he officially joins us on next week.

His management and expertise in the competitive gaming space is vast, having devoted the recent years producing and managing some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to keep seeing the development of the game in the time to follow.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Leader

The appointee currently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting step forward on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch states. "Take on the competition with fresh skills, risks, and obstacles that evolve every round. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Or go big, risk it all, and trust your group can secure victory? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos does not have an confirmed release date or supported systems, but enthusiasts can expect additional details as production progresses.