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2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the forthcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Change Follows Lukewarm Response

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster unveiling last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure updated employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a distinct direction.

The president stated that the developers is now overhauling the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

The news echoes a comparable step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

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

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just finished your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and talented developers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to endure.”

Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game playtest was informative. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had improvements to make. It revealed the necessity for a sharper vision.

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

The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. After several months of discussions, he comes aboard us on next week.

His leadership and background in the PVP shooter field is vast, having devoted the past decade and a half producing and overseeing some of the most popular franchises in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in receiving him in the coming days. We are all excited to keep seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to come.

The President

Background of the Incoming Leader

The appointee presently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 alongside a early access event. Then, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative step forward on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the description states. "Face the competition with unique powers, challenges, and obstacles that shift every session. Will you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, gamble everything, and trust your squad can secure victory? The decision is up to you."

Project Ethos does not have an announced launch window or supported systems, but players can anticipate further news as production progresses.