The Gaming Giant Hires Apex Legends Lead to Rescue Troubled Hero Shooter Ambitious Title

The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to lead the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Follows Mixed Reception

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.

Recently, 2K president David Ismailer updated employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the necessity for a clearer vision.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Hires

The news echoes a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the full text from Ismailer's memo:

Team—

I know you all just finished your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a note, I stated the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and creative designers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that relationship to persist.”

Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last fall’s the game demo was revealing. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the need for a sharper vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the feedback to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s poised to deliver on its promise to our audience.

The trust in this project increases every day. To advance the incredible advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome the new hire as the latest Lead of 31st Union. After several months of conversations, he comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

His management and expertise in the competitive gaming space is vast, having dedicated the past decade and a half creating and overseeing some of the most well-known franchises in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in receiving him in the coming days. We are all eager to continue witnessing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to ahead.

David

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee currently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in last year alongside a public demo. Then, 31st Union presented the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the style."

"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 explains. "Take on the opponents with fresh skills, challenges, and challenges that shift every match. Will you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Or go big, risk it all, and trust your squad can earn top ranking? The option is up to you."

Project Ethos lacks an confirmed release date or consoles, but enthusiasts can look forward to further news as development advances.