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2K Games has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Transition Follows Poor Reception

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified employees about this strategic move through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the necessity for a clearer game identity.

The president stated that the developers is now overhauling the project with a renewed focus, aiming to address gamer demands.

Trend of Key Hires

The news follows a similar step taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the full message from Ismailer's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Previously I shared you all a note, I stated the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and talented creators we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to endure.”

With your dedication and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It affirmed the promise of a action-packed game but made clear we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the necessity for a clearer vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the feedback to consideration and reimagined the title with a revitalized vision - one that’s ready to fulfill its promise to our audience.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To boost the incredible development you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce the new hire as the latest Director of the team. After some time of discussions, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s guidance and expertise in the competitive gaming field is extensive, having devoted the last 15 years creating and overseeing some of the most popular titles in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to keep seeing the progress of the game in the months to ahead.

The President

Experience of the New Head

The appointee presently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 together with a public demo. Initially, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative advancement on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch states. "Take on the opponents with unique powers, risks, and challenges that change every round. Do you leave securely with your collected items? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and hope your squad can secure victory? The choice is yours."

The game lacks an announced release date or supported systems, but fans can anticipate further news as creation continues.