2K Recruits Apex Legends Developer to Rescue Challenged Hero Shooter Project Ethos

2K Games has appointed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Change Comes After Lukewarm Reception

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 Project Ethos' lackluster early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the requirement for a more defined direction.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

The news follows a comparable step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock development group.

Below is the complete content from Ismailer's announcement:

Team—

I know you all just completed your gathering - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and creative creators we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to endure.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It affirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It revealed the necessity for a clearer brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the feedback to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a refreshed vision - one that’s positioned to fulfill its potential to our players.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To advance the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the latest Studio Head of the team. Following several months of discussions, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having spent the past decade and a half producing and overseeing some of the most well-known titles in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

Please join me in greeting Ben soon. We are all excited to persist seeing the progress of the game in the months to ahead.

David

Background of the New Head

Brinkman currently holds the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in last year together with a community playtest. Then, the developers presented the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting advancement 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 match your preferred approach," the description states. "Face the competition with fresh skills, stakes, and challenges that evolve every round. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or aim high, risk it all, and trust your squad can secure victory? The decision is up to you."

Project Ethos does not have an confirmed release date or consoles, but players can look forward to further news as development progresses.