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2K Games has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Transition Follows Poor Response

The new appointee steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing early showing last fall.

Recently, 2K president a key figure informed employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a more defined direction.

The president expressed that the team is now refining the project with a renewed approach, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

The news follows a comparable move taken by the publisher in August, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

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

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a update, I expressed the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and talented designers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that partnership to continue.”

Through your commitment and versatility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The player input from last fall’s the game testing phase was informative. It validated the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the necessity for a more distinct identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the criticism to mind and overhauled the title with a revitalized vision - one that’s positioned to achieve its potential to our audience.

The belief in this project strengthens every day. To boost the outstanding development you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. After some time of conversations, Ben starts with us on the specified date.

His management and background in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having dedicated the past decade and a half creating and leading some of the most well-known series in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in greeting Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to continue witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.

David

Background of the Incoming Head

Brinkman currently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 together with a public demo. Initially, 31st Union described the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting evolution on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the description explains. "Face the competition with unique powers, risks, and tests that change every match. Do you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Or go big, gamble everything, and hope your squad can secure victory? The choice is in your hands."

Project Ethos does not have an official launch window or platforms, but players can expect additional details as creation progresses.