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2K Games has welcomed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Transition Follows Poor Feedback

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure updated staff about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the need for a more defined vision.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a renewed approach, aiming to address player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions

The news mirrors a similar move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire message from Ismailer's announcement:

Team—

I know you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Previously I shared you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and innovative developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to persist.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but made clear we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the need for a clearer vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the criticism to heart and overhauled the title with a renewed goal - one that’s positioned to fulfill its promise to our audience.

The belief in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To boost the remarkable progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce the new hire as the incoming Director of 31st Union. After several months of talks, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His management and background in the PVP shooter space is extensive, having dedicated the last 15 years producing and overseeing some of the most popular franchises in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in receiving him next week. We are all looking forward to keep observing the progress of Project ETHOS in the months to come.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Leader

The appointee currently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. Initially, 31st Union described the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative advancement on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the description states. "Challenge the rivals with new abilities, risks, and tests that change every match. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and trust your squad can earn top ranking? The option is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an announced launch window or platforms, but players can expect more updates as development progresses.