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2K Games has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Change Comes After Poor Reception

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified team members about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a more defined game identity.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now overhauling the project with a renewed vision, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

This announcement echoes a similar action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the full text from Ismailer's memo:

Team—

I understand you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and talented creators we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to continue.”

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

The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game testing phase was informative. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the requirement for a more distinct brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the feedback to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s poised to deliver on its ambition to our audience.

The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the outstanding development you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the latest Director of the team. After some time of conversations, he comes aboard us on next week.

His leadership and background in the competitive gaming space is vast, having dedicated the past decade and a half creating and overseeing some of the most popular franchises in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in welcoming Ben next week. We are all excited to persist observing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.

David

Background of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman currently holds the position of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in last year alongside a early access event. Initially, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling evolution on the genre."

"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 official summary reads. "Challenge the rivals with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that evolve every session. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and trust your team can earn top ranking? The choice is in your hands."

Project Ethos does not have an confirmed launch window or supported systems, but players can expect further news as creation continues.