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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Comes After Poor Feedback

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing initial reveal last fall.

Recently, 2K president a key figure informed employees about this decision through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the need for a distinct vision.

The president noted that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a renewed approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions

The news follows a similar move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the full message from Ismailer's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and innovative developers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that relationship to persist.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It confirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but made clear we still had work to do. It revealed the need for a more distinct brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the criticism to mind and revamped Project ETHOS with a refreshed direction - one that’s ready to achieve its ambition to our fans.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To further the outstanding progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the new Director of 31st Union. After some time of conversations, he comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s management and expertise in the competitive gaming space is vast, having dedicated the past decade and a half creating and overseeing some of the most recognizable series in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in greeting him soon. We are all looking forward to persist seeing the progress of the game in the months to follow.

David

Experience of the New Head

The appointee presently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 together with a public demo. Initially, the developers described the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch states. "Challenge the competition with fresh skills, stakes, and challenges that change every round. Do you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and trust your team can achieve the highest spot? The choice is up to you."

The game does not have an confirmed debut schedule or consoles, but enthusiasts can expect additional details as production progresses.