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The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Change Comes After Lukewarm Feedback

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure notified employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the need for a more defined game identity.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now reimagining the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Hires

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

Below is the complete message from the president's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a update, I stated the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative creators we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re eager for that partnership to endure.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The player input from last fall’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 uncovered the necessity for a more distinct identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the criticism to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized vision - one that’s poised to achieve its promise to our players.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To further the incredible development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Lead of the team. After several months of talks, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and background in the PVP shooter field is vast, having devoted the past decade and a half creating and managing some of the most recognizable titles in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in greeting Ben next week. We are all looking forward to keep seeing the development of the game in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee currently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had periods at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 together with a public demo. Initially, the developers described the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative advancement on the style."

"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 game's pitch explains. "Face the rivals with unique powers, challenges, and challenges that evolve every round. Do you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or aim high, gamble everything, and trust your team can earn top ranking? The option is yours."

The game has not yet received an confirmed launch window or consoles, but players can anticipate further news as creation advances.