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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Change Follows Lukewarm Feedback

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer informed staff about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had indicated the necessity for a more defined direction.

Ismailer stated that the team is now reimagining the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement echoes a similar move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire content from Ismailer's communication:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a note, I stated the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative designers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re eager for that relationship to endure.”

Through your commitment and versatility, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was revealing. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but made clear we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the requirement for a more distinct brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You took the feedback to consideration and reimagined the title with a renewed vision - one that’s ready to fulfill its ambition to our players.

Our confidence in this project grows every day. To advance the outstanding development you’ve made, I’m excited to announce Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of 31st Union. Following several months of talks, he starts with us on the specified date.

His guidance and experience in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having dedicated the past decade and a half producing and managing some of the most popular franchises in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in welcoming him soon. We are all excited to keep witnessing the evolution of the game in the months to ahead.

The President

Experience of the New Leader

Brinkman presently holds the position of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Concept

Project Ethos was unveiled in last year alongside a community playtest. Then, the developers presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary explains. "Face the rivals with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that evolve every round. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or go big, put it on the line, and pray your squad can earn top ranking? The choice is in your hands."

The game does not have an confirmed debut schedule or platforms, but enthusiasts can anticipate more updates as production progresses.