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2K Games has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Comes After Mixed Feedback

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified team members about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had indicated the requirement for a clearer vision.

The president stated that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed approach, aiming to address gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

The news follows a comparable move taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the full message from the president's announcement:

Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and talented designers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to continue.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It revealed the need for a more distinct vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You took the criticism to mind and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to fulfill its promise to our players.

The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the incredible advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the incoming Lead of the team. After some time of talks, he comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and background in the competitive gaming field is extensive, having dedicated the last 15 years developing and overseeing some of the most well-known franchises in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to persist seeing the progress of the game in the months to ahead.

The President

Experience of the New Head

The appointee presently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union described the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting advancement on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch reads. "Challenge the rivals with fresh skills, challenges, and tests that shift every match. Will you leave securely with your collected items? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and pray your squad can achieve the highest spot? The choice is in your hands."

Project Ethos has not yet received an official debut schedule or supported systems, but fans can anticipate further news as creation continues.