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2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Change Comes After Mixed Feedback

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at the development studio following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster early showing last autumn.

Recently, 2K president a key figure informed employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the requirement for a distinct game identity.

The president expressed that the team is now overhauling the project with a refreshed focus, aiming to address gamer demands.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

This announcement follows a similar action taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the complete message from the president's communication:

Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and talented creators we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to persist.”

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

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game demo was revealing. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a sharper brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the input to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to fulfill its potential to our players.

Our confidence in this project increases every day. To advance the remarkable progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of the team. After several months of conversations, Ben starts with us on next week.

Ben’s leadership and background in the competitive gaming genre is considerable, having spent the past decade and a half creating and leading some of the most popular titles in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

Please join me in receiving him next week. We are all looking forward to keep seeing the progress of the game in the time to come.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee currently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 together with a public demo. Then, the developers presented the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the description reads. "Face the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and obstacles that shift every match. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and pray your group can achieve the highest spot? The option is in your hands."

The game does not have an confirmed release date or supported systems, but fans can expect more updates as development progresses.