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The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Follows Lukewarm Feedback

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure notified employees about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a distinct vision.

The president expressed that the developers is now overhauling the project with a refreshed vision, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Acquisitions

This announcement echoes a comparable action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire content from Ismailer's memo:

Dear Team—

I know you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative developers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to continue.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game testing phase was enlightening. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It revealed the requirement for a clearer vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the criticism to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s positioned to deliver on its promise to our audience.

Our confidence in this project increases every day. To advance the outstanding progress you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. Following some time of talks, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter field is considerable, having spent the past decade and a half creating and leading some of the most well-known titles in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben next week. We are all looking forward to persist observing the evolution of the game in the time to follow.

The President

Background of the Incoming Leader

The appointee presently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 together with a early access event. Initially, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting step forward on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch reads. "Challenge the opponents with new abilities, risks, and tests that shift every session. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Or aim high, put it on the line, and pray your group can earn top ranking? The option is yours."

Project Ethos does not have an announced debut schedule or platforms, but players can look forward to further news as creation continues.