The Gaming Giant Recruits Apex Legends Lead to Rescue Troubled Action Game Project Ethos

2K Games has appointed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Comes After Lukewarm Response

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing unveiling last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure notified staff about this decision through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a clearer vision.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement echoes a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

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

Dear Team—

I understand you all just completed your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a note, I stated the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented designers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that relationship to persist.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It confirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the requirement for a clearer brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the criticism to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s poised to fulfill its ambition to our fans.

The trust in this project grows every day. To further the incredible progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Director of the team. After some time of conversations, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and background in the competitive gaming space is vast, having devoted the last 15 years developing and managing some of the most popular franchises in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in receiving him next week. We are all looking forward to persist observing the evolution of the game in the time to ahead.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Leader

The appointee presently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously was employed at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. Then, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch states. "Face the rivals with new abilities, stakes, and obstacles that shift every session. Do you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, risk it all, and trust your team can earn top ranking? The option is in your hands."

The game has not yet received an official launch window or consoles, but players can look forward to additional details as creation continues.