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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Follows Lukewarm Feedback

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster unveiling last autumn.

Recently, 2K president a key figure informed employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the necessity for a distinct direction.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to address community desires.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement follows a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the full content from the president's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and talented designers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to continue.”

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

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game demo was informative. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the necessity for a more distinct identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the criticism to consideration and reimagined the title with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to deliver on its potential to our fans.

The belief in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To boost the outstanding progress you’ve made, I’m excited to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of the team. Following several months of discussions, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is extensive, having devoted the recent years creating and overseeing some of the most popular titles in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in greeting him next week. We are all looking forward to keep witnessing the progress of Project ETHOS in the months to ahead.

David

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee currently serves in the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Concept

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 together with a public demo. Then, 31st Union described the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch states. "Take on the competition with unique powers, risks, and challenges that shift every match. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively aim high, gamble everything, and trust your team can secure victory? The decision is in your hands."

The game does not have an confirmed launch window or consoles, but fans can anticipate further news as development progresses.