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2K Games has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Comes After Mixed Response

The new appointee steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed team members about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a distinct vision.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now overhauling the project with a renewed approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Strategic Acquisitions

The news echoes a similar action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock development group.

Here is the complete content from the president's communication:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a note, I stated the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative developers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to continue.”

With your dedication and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It uncovered the requirement for a clearer identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You took the criticism to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s poised to achieve its promise to our fans.

The belief in this project increases every day. To further the outstanding progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the new Director of the team. After several months of conversations, he starts with us on the specified date.

Ben’s guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having dedicated the recent years producing and leading some of the most popular series in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in greeting him in the coming days. We are all eager to keep witnessing the progress of Project ETHOS in the months to come.

David

Background of the New Head

The appointee presently holds the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. At the time, 31st Union described the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling advancement on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the official summary explains. "Take on the opponents with unique powers, stakes, and challenges that evolve every session. Will you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or aim high, risk it all, and hope your squad can secure victory? The decision is up to you."

Project Ethos lacks an official launch window or supported systems, but players can anticipate further news as creation advances.