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2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Change Follows Lukewarm Response

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had indicated the need for a distinct direction.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to address player expectations.

Trend of Key Recruitment

This announcement mirrors a similar step taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the full content from Ismailer's announcement:

Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your town hall - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and innovative developers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that partnership to continue.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but made clear we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a clearer vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the feedback to heart and reimagined the title with a revitalized vision - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our audience.

The trust in this project strengthens every day. To boost the incredible progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Lead of 31st Union. Following several months of discussions, Ben comes aboard us on next week.

His guidance and expertise in the competitive gaming space is extensive, having dedicated the recent years producing and overseeing some of the most popular titles in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in greeting him in the coming days. We are all eager to continue witnessing the evolution of the game in the months to come.

The President

Experience of the New Head

The appointee currently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. Then, the developers described the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling advancement on the category."

"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 description explains. "Face the rivals with fresh skills, risks, and challenges that change every round. Do you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and pray your squad can achieve the highest spot? The option is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an announced launch window or supported systems, but fans can expect more updates as production continues.