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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Follows Mixed Response

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.

Recently, 2K president a key figure informed employees about this strategic move through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had shown the need for a clearer vision.

The president noted that the team is now refining the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to better meet community desires.

A Pattern of Key Hires

This announcement follows a comparable step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the entire content from Ismailer's announcement:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just completed your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented designers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to endure.”

With your dedication and versatility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game demo was informative. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the necessity for a more distinct identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the input to consideration and overhauled the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s ready to achieve its ambition to our players.

The trust in this project strengthens every day. To boost the outstanding progress you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the new Studio Head of the team. Following some time of discussions, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.

His management and experience in the competitive gaming space is extensive, having spent the last 15 years creating and overseeing some of the most well-known titles in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in receiving Ben next week. We are all excited to persist seeing the evolution of the game in the time to come.

David

Experience of the New Head

The appointee presently serves in the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously worked at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 together with a public demo. Initially, 31st Union described the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative step forward on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the description explains. "Challenge the rivals with unique powers, risks, and obstacles that shift every match. Will you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, put it on the line, and pray your group can achieve the highest spot? The choice is yours."

The game lacks an official launch window or platforms, but players can anticipate additional details as development progresses.