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2K Games has secured a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to lead the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Transition Comes After Poor Response

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing unveiling last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated team members about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the necessity for a more defined vision.

The president stated that the team is now overhauling the project with a renewed vision, aiming to better meet community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement mirrors a comparable action taken by the publisher in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the BioShock development group.

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

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to persist.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was revealing. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but made clear we still had work to do. It uncovered the necessity for a more distinct vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the input to mind and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s poised to fulfill its ambition to our players.

The belief in Project ETHOS increases every day. To advance the remarkable advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. Following several months of discussions, Ben comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s leadership and experience in the PVP shooter field is vast, having dedicated the last 15 years producing and managing some of the most popular titles in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

Please join me in receiving him soon. We are all excited to persist seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.

The President

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman presently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a early access event. Initially, 31st Union described the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting step forward on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch states. "Face the competition with fresh skills, risks, and challenges that shift every match. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or go big, risk it all, and hope your team can secure victory? The choice is yours."

The game lacks an confirmed debut schedule or platforms, but fans can expect further news as production advances.