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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Follows Poor Response

The new appointee steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed staff about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the necessity for a more defined game identity.

The president expressed that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Strategic Hires

This announcement mirrors a comparable move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock development group.

Here is the entire content from the president's memo:

Team—

I know you all just completed your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a update, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and creative creators we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that partnership to persist.”

With your dedication and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last fall’s the game demo was enlightening. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a clearer brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the criticism to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our audience.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To boost the outstanding development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce the new hire as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. After a period of conversations, Ben starts with us on next week.

Ben’s guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter space is vast, having dedicated the last 15 years producing and overseeing some of the most popular titles in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in greeting Ben next week. We are all eager to persist witnessing the evolution of the game in the months to follow.

David

Background of the New Head

Brinkman presently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He previously was employed at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 alongside a early access event. At the time, 31st Union described the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling advancement on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch states. "Take on the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and obstacles that change every match. Do you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, put it on the line, and pray your team can achieve the highest spot? The option is in your hands."

The game has not yet received an confirmed launch window or platforms, but players can expect additional details as production advances.