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

Management Change Follows Lukewarm Response

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster early showing last autumn.

Recently, 2K president a key figure informed employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had shown the requirement for a more defined vision.

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

Trend of Strategic Hires

This announcement follows a similar move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the complete text from Ismailer's memo:

Team—

I understand you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and talented designers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to endure.”

Through your commitment and versatility, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It revealed the need for a sharper identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the criticism to mind and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized vision - one that’s positioned to deliver on its promise to our players.

The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To boost the incredible progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the new Director of the team. After several months of discussions, Ben officially joins us on next week.

His leadership and experience in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having dedicated the recent years producing and leading some of the most recognizable series in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in welcoming Ben soon. We are all looking forward to keep seeing the progress of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee presently holds the position of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. Then, the developers 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 suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch states. "Take on the opponents with new abilities, stakes, and tests that shift every session. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and pray your squad can achieve the highest spot? The choice is yours."

The game has not yet received an confirmed debut schedule or consoles, but fans can look forward to further news as creation advances.