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2K Games has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Follows Poor Feedback

The new appointee steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer updated employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had shown the requirement for a more defined game identity.

The president stated that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

Trend of Key Hires

This announcement echoes a comparable move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire message from Ismailer's announcement:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and innovative developers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that relationship to continue.”

With your dedication and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game playtest was enlightening. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but made clear we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the necessity for a clearer identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the criticism to heart and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s positioned to fulfill its ambition to our players.

The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To boost the outstanding progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. After some time of discussions, Ben comes aboard us on the specified date.

His management and experience in the PVP shooter field is vast, having spent the past decade and a half creating and leading some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in welcoming him in the coming days. We are all eager to keep observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.

The President

Experience of the New Head

The appointee currently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. Initially, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative evolution on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch explains. "Take on the competition with new abilities, challenges, and tests that change every match. Do you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively go big, gamble everything, and trust your group can secure victory? The option is yours."

Project Ethos does not have an confirmed launch window or supported systems, but fans can expect additional details as production progresses.