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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Transition Follows Poor Response

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure updated employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a clearer direction.

The president expressed that the developers is now reimagining the project with a renewed approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement mirrors a similar move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the complete message from the president's memo:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and talented developers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re excited for that partnership to endure.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The player input from last autumn’s the game demo was revealing. It confirmed the promise of a action-packed game but told us we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the requirement for a sharper brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the criticism to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a refreshed vision - one that’s ready to deliver on its ambition to our players.

Our confidence in this project increases every day. To further the outstanding development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Director of the team. After some time of discussions, he starts with us on the specified date.

Ben’s management and expertise in the PVP shooter field is vast, having dedicated the last 15 years creating and managing some of the most well-known series in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in greeting Ben soon. We are all looking forward to continue seeing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to come.

David

Background of the New Leader

Brinkman currently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He previously worked at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 alongside a public demo. Initially, 31st Union described the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative advancement on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch reads. "Take on the rivals with unique powers, challenges, and obstacles that evolve every session. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, put it on the line, and pray your team can earn top ranking? The decision is yours."

The game lacks an official debut schedule or supported systems, but players can look forward to additional details as creation continues.