2K Games has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Leadership Transition Follows Poor Reception
The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming unveiling last fall.
Recently, 2K president David Ismailer informed team members about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had shown the requirement for a distinct vision.
Ismailer noted that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed approach, aiming to address player expectations.
A Pattern of Key Recruitment
The news echoes a similar move taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock development group.
Here is the complete message from the president's memo:
Team—
I understand you all just completed your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a update, I expressed the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative designers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to persist.”
With your dedication and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.
The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game testing phase was informative. It affirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had work to do. It highlighted the need for a more distinct identity.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the criticism to consideration and revamped the title with a renewed goal - one that’s ready to achieve its potential to our players.
The belief in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the remarkable development you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. After some time of conversations, he officially joins us on next week.
Ben’s leadership and background in the PVP shooter field is considerable, having spent the recent years creating and leading some of the most recognizable titles in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.
I invite you all in receiving Ben soon. We are all excited to persist seeing the evolution of the game in the time to ahead.
David
Experience of the Incoming Head
The appointee currently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Game Details and Concept
The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 together with a community playtest. Then, the developers portrayed the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the genre."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the official summary reads. "Take on the rivals with unique powers, risks, and obstacles that evolve every match. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Or take a risk, put it on the line, and hope your group can secure victory? The choice is up to you."
Project Ethos does not have an announced launch window or platforms, but players can anticipate further news as production advances.
