2K Brings Onboard Popular Battle Royale Producer to Revitalize Challenged Hero Shooter Ambitious Title

The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Comes After Lukewarm Feedback

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing early showing last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure informed employees about this strategic move through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a clearer direction.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now reimagining the project with a revised vision, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

This announcement echoes a similar action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the complete content from Ismailer's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. 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 talented developers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to persist.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last fall’s the game demo was enlightening. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It revealed the requirement for a sharper vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the feedback to mind and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s poised to fulfill its promise to our audience.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To further the incredible advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. Following some time of discussions, he officially joins us on next week.

His leadership and background in the competitive gaming space is extensive, having dedicated the last 15 years developing and managing some of the most well-known series in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in greeting Ben soon. We are all eager to continue witnessing the progress of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.

The President

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman currently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had periods at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in last year alongside a public demo. Initially, 31st Union described the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative advancement on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the description states. "Challenge the competition with new abilities, risks, and tests that change every round. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or go big, risk it all, and trust your squad can earn top ranking? The option is up to you."

The game has not yet received an confirmed release date or consoles, but enthusiasts can anticipate further news as development progresses.