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2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Follows Lukewarm Response

Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a clearer game identity.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now reimagining the project with a revised vision, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

This announcement mirrors a similar action taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock development group.

Below is the entire text from the president's communication:

Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative developers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to continue.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game playtest was enlightening. It affirmed the promise of a action-packed game but told us we still had refinements needed. It revealed the requirement for a sharper vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the input to consideration and revamped the title with a revitalized direction - one that’s poised to fulfill its potential to our players.

The trust in this project strengthens every day. To boost the incredible development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome the new hire as the new Director of 31st Union. After several months of talks, he officially joins us on the specified date.

His leadership and background in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having devoted the recent years producing and overseeing some of the most popular franchises in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in greeting Ben next week. We are all looking forward to continue witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to come.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee currently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 together with a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union described the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the official summary explains. "Challenge the rivals with new abilities, risks, and obstacles that evolve every match. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and trust your squad can achieve the highest spot? The option is in your hands."

Project Ethos has not yet received an confirmed release date or platforms, but fans can anticipate more updates as development progresses.