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The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Comes After Mixed Reception

The new appointee steps into the role of studio head at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a clearer vision.

The president expressed that the team is now overhauling the project with a revised focus, aiming to better meet community desires.

Trend of Key Hires

This announcement mirrors a comparable move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

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

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a note, I stated the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented designers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to persist.”

With your dedication and adaptability, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game testing phase was enlightening. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It revealed the necessity for a more distinct brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the feedback to mind and overhauled the title with a renewed direction - one that’s ready to achieve its potential to our audience.

The belief in this project grows every day. To further the outstanding progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. After a period of conversations, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s management and background in the competitive gaming field is extensive, having spent the last 15 years creating and leading some of the most recognizable franchises in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in greeting Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to keep seeing the progress of Project ETHOS in the months to ahead.

David

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee currently serves in the role of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Concept

Project Ethos was unveiled in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. Then, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the description reads. "Face the competition with new abilities, challenges, and obstacles that shift every session. Do you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and hope your group can earn top ranking? The option is in your hands."

Project Ethos lacks an official debut schedule or platforms, but fans can anticipate further news as development continues.