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The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Comes After Lukewarm Response

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer notified staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had indicated the necessity for a distinct vision.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement mirrors a comparable action taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock development group.

Below is the complete text from the president's memo:

Team—

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 update, I stated the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and creative designers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that relationship to persist.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, especially over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last fall’s the game playtest was informative. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but made clear we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the need for a clearer identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the criticism to consideration and reimagined the title with a renewed vision - one that’s positioned to achieve its ambition to our audience.

The belief in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the remarkable progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the new Lead of the team. Following a period of discussions, he officially joins us on the specified date.

His guidance and background in the competitive gaming field is extensive, having dedicated the recent years creating and leading some of the most well-known titles in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in greeting him next week. We are all looking forward to continue observing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to come.

The President

Background of the New Leader

The appointee currently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 together with a early access event. Initially, the developers presented the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting 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 match your preferred approach," the official summary explains. "Take on the opponents with fresh skills, risks, and obstacles that evolve every session. Will you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and hope your team can earn top ranking? The decision is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an announced debut schedule or supported systems, but players can look forward to additional details as development progresses.