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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Comes After Lukewarm Response

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last autumn.

Recently, 2K president David Ismailer informed staff about this strategic move through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a more defined game identity.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now refining the project with a revised approach, aiming to better meet player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Hires

The news mirrors a similar move taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the full text from the president's memo:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Previously I shared you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to continue.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last fall’s the game demo was informative. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had improvements to make. It revealed the requirement for a sharper brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the feedback to mind and reimagined the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s positioned to deliver on its promise to our audience.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To boost the incredible development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce the new hire as the latest Director of 31st Union. After some time of conversations, Ben officially joins us on next week.

His guidance and background in the PVP shooter genre is extensive, having spent the recent years producing and managing some of the most well-known franchises in gaming, for example the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in receiving him next week. We are all looking forward to persist seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman presently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Concept

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. Then, the developers described the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the official summary states. "Face the rivals with fresh skills, risks, and obstacles that evolve every match. Do you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Or aim high, gamble everything, and pray your group can earn top ranking? The choice is in your hands."

The game has not yet received an announced launch window or consoles, but fans can look forward to further news as creation progresses.