2K Reaffirms Support for Project Ethos, Names Apex Legends Executive Producer as Head of 31st Union

2K has reaffirmed its enactment for 3rd-person enactment roguelike shooter Project Ethos, and has appointed the erstwhile enforcement shaper for Apex Legends arsenic the caller workplace caput of developer 31st Union.

This quality was shared with employees contiguous successful a municipality hallway followed by an interior memo, the second of which was shared with IGN by 2K. The memo, written by 2K president David Ismailer, states that Ben Brinkman volition instrumentality implicit arsenic workplace caput of 31st Union opening Monday, October 20. Brinkman volition oversee Project Ethos improvement arsenic the crippled is "reimagined" "with a renewed vision" aft the game's 2024 playtests revealed a request for "a much chiseled identity."

Here's an excerpt from the memo:

The assemblage feedback from past fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It affirmed the committedness of a roguelike shooter but told america we inactive had enactment to do. It uncovered the request for a much chiseled identity. It’s been inspiring to spot however acold you’ve come. You took the feedback to bosom and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed imaginativeness - 1 that’s poised to present connected its committedness to our players Our assurance successful Project ETHOS grows each day. To further the unthinkable advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to invited Ben Brinkman arsenic the caller Studio Head of 31st Union. After respective months of conversations, Ben officially joins america connected Monday, October 20.

Brinkman joins 31st Union straight from EA, wherever helium had antecedently been moving arsenic enforcement shaper connected Apex Legends since 2020, pursuing six years astatine Treyarch connected Call of Duty. IGN has reached retired to EA for remark connected what this means for Apex Legends, and who volition beryllium taking implicit Brinkman's erstwhile role.

Project Ethos was archetypal announced successful October of past twelvemonth arsenic a free-to-play, third-person, leader extraction shooter with immoderate roguelike elements. It's being developed by 31st Union, a workplace founded successful 2019 by ex-Sledgehammer Games co-founder Michael Condrey and primitively referred to arsenic 2K Silicon Valley. We previewed Project Ethos astatine the time, and liked it fine, but said it "fails astatine being a caller acquisition that players volition crave implicit and implicit again." Other outlets shared akin feedback, that the crippled was amusive capable but didn't bash thing important to basal retired successful a crowded genre.

31st Union has been quiescent connected the Project Ethos beforehand since then, but successful February this year, Kotaku reported that Condrey was fired by 2K Games owed to the lukewarm reception of the game. At the time, 2K reassured employees it would proceed to enactment the project.

This quality indicates that 2K is so making bully connected its committedness to proceed to enactment Project Ethos, adjacent amidst ongoing concerns that the assemblage for online, multiplayer shooters - particularly extraction shooters - is worn out. But it whitethorn beryllium a portion earlier we get different update fixed the wording of the email.

Rebekah Valentine is simply a elder newsman for IGN. You tin find her posting connected BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a communicative tip? Send it to [email protected].