The Gaming Giant Hires Apex Legends Lead to Rescue Troubled Action Game Ambitious Title

2K Games has secured a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the forthcoming third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Follows Lukewarm Response

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming early showing last autumn.

Recently, 2K president David Ismailer informed team members about this decision through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had revealed the requirement for a more defined vision.

Ismailer stated that the team is now refining the project with a renewed approach, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

This announcement echoes a comparable action taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the full text from the president's communication:

Team—

I understand you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and talented designers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to continue.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game demo was revealing. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the need for a clearer identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the criticism to mind and reimagined Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s ready to achieve its ambition to our players.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the incredible progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Studio Head of the team. Following a period of discussions, Ben comes aboard us on next week.

Ben’s leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter field is vast, having spent the last 15 years creating and managing some of the most well-known titles in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in receiving him in the coming days. We are all excited to persist witnessing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.

David

Experience of the New Leader

Brinkman presently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 in conjunction with a early access event. Then, 31st Union described the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the genre."

"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 official summary explains. "Take on the rivals with unique powers, challenges, and tests that evolve every round. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and trust your group can earn top ranking? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos has not yet received an announced release date or consoles, but enthusiasts can expect additional details as production continues.