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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Follows Poor Response

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure updated employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had indicated the requirement for a clearer direction.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to address community desires.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement follows a comparable action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire message from Ismailer's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and creative creators we have had the chance to work with - and we’re eager for that partnership to endure.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It confirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the requirement for a clearer vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the feedback to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a refreshed vision - one that’s ready to fulfill its promise to our fans.

Our confidence in this project grows every day. To advance the outstanding progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce the new hire as the incoming Lead of the team. After some time of conversations, Ben comes aboard us on the specified date.

Ben’s guidance and expertise in the competitive gaming space is extensive, having spent the past decade and a half producing and managing some of the most recognizable series in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in receiving Ben soon. We are all looking forward to keep witnessing the evolution of the game in the time to come.

David

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman presently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Concept

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. Then, the developers described the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting 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 fit your unique tactics," the official summary reads. "Take on the rivals with new abilities, challenges, and obstacles that evolve every match. Do you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Or take a risk, put it on the line, and trust your team can achieve the highest spot? The choice is yours."

The game does not have an announced debut schedule or consoles, but players can anticipate more updates as creation advances.