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The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to direct the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Comes After Poor Response

The new appointee steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last fall.

Recently, 2K president David Ismailer informed team members about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had revealed the need for a distinct direction.

The president noted that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

Trend of Strategic Acquisitions

This announcement mirrors a similar move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the full content from the president's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and innovative creators we have had the chance to work with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to persist.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It affirmed the promise of a action-packed game but made clear we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the necessity for a sharper identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the feedback to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a refreshed vision - one that’s positioned to fulfill its ambition to our players.

The trust in this project increases every day. To boost the outstanding development you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of the team. After some time of talks, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and experience in the competitive gaming space is considerable, having spent the past decade and a half producing and leading some of the most popular titles in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in greeting him in the coming days. We are all excited to continue seeing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee presently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. Then, 31st Union described the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward 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 suit your personal playstyle," the description reads. "Take on the competition with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that shift every session. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, put it on the line, and pray your squad can earn top ranking? The decision is yours."

The game has not yet received an announced debut schedule or consoles, but players can expect additional details as development advances.