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2K Games has appointed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Comes After Poor Reception

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified staff about this decision through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had shown the requirement for a more defined direction.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now refining the project with a renewed approach, aiming to address player expectations.

Trend of Key Hires

This announcement follows a similar step taken by the publisher in August, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock development group.

Below is the full message from Ismailer's announcement:

Dear Team—

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

Through your commitment and flexibility, especially over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It validated the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the need for a more distinct vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the feedback to heart and overhauled the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s positioned to deliver on its promise to our players.

The belief in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the incredible development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of 31st Union. After several months of talks, Ben officially joins us on next week.

His guidance and background in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having devoted the last 15 years producing and overseeing some of the most well-known titles in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in welcoming him next week. We are all excited to persist observing the progress of the game in the weeks to come.

David

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman currently serves in the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had periods at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 together with a public demo. Initially, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the description explains. "Challenge the competition with unique powers, risks, and obstacles that shift every session. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and pray your team can secure victory? The decision is yours."

Project Ethos has not yet received an confirmed launch window or consoles, but players can expect more updates as production progresses.