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2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the forthcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Comes After Poor Feedback

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure updated employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a distinct game identity.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now reimagining the project with a renewed focus, aiming to better meet player expectations.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

The news follows a similar move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the full message from Ismailer's communication:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that partnership to endure.”

With your dedication and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It validated the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It highlighted the requirement for a more distinct identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the input to heart and revamped the title with a revitalized vision - one that’s poised to achieve its ambition to our audience.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To advance the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of the team. After a period of conversations, he comes aboard us on next week.

His management and expertise in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having spent the past decade and a half producing and leading some of the most well-known series in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in receiving him next week. We are all looking forward to persist witnessing the progress of the game in the weeks to come.

The President

Background of the Incoming Head

Brinkman presently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 together with a community playtest. Initially, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the description states. "Challenge the rivals with new abilities, challenges, and tests that shift every round. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, put it on the line, and pray your group can achieve the highest spot? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an official release date or platforms, but players can expect additional details as creation continues.