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2K Games has secured a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the forthcoming third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Comes After Poor Reception

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

Recently, 2K president a key figure informed employees about this decision through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had indicated the requirement for a clearer vision.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now refining the project with a renewed approach, aiming to address community desires.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

This announcement follows a similar move taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the complete content from Ismailer's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented designers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re excited for that partnership to persist.”

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

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It validated the potential of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the need for a clearer brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the input to mind and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s ready to achieve its ambition to our fans.

Our confidence in this project grows every day. To advance the incredible development you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce the new hire as the latest Studio Head of the team. After a period of conversations, Ben comes aboard us on the specified date.

His guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is extensive, having devoted the last 15 years producing and leading some of the most recognizable franchises in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to persist seeing the development of the game in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee presently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He previously worked at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in last year together with a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting advancement on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary reads. "Face the competition with unique powers, risks, and obstacles that change every match. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and pray your squad can secure victory? The choice is in your hands."

The game has not yet received an announced debut schedule or platforms, but players can expect more updates as development progresses.