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2K Games has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Transition Comes After Lukewarm Feedback

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified staff about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the requirement for a clearer direction.

The president stated that the developers is now overhauling the project with a refreshed vision, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Strategic Hires

The news follows a similar move taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the entire content from Ismailer's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just finished your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative developers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to persist.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game playtest was enlightening. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had work to do. It revealed the necessity for a clearer vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You took the feedback to heart and reimagined the title with a revitalized direction - one that’s positioned to deliver on its promise to our audience.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the outstanding progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the new Lead of the team. After several months of discussions, he officially joins us on next week.

His guidance and background in the competitive gaming space is vast, having devoted the recent years developing and overseeing some of the most well-known titles in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in receiving him soon. We are all excited to continue witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.

David

Experience of the Incoming Leader

The appointee presently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in various production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. Then, the developers presented the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting advancement on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch reads. "Face the opponents with unique powers, challenges, and obstacles that evolve every match. Will you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Alternatively aim high, put it on the line, and hope your group can secure victory? The choice is up to you."

Project Ethos has not yet received an announced release date or consoles, but fans can anticipate more updates as creation progresses.