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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Comes After Lukewarm Reception

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer notified team members about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had shown the necessity for a more defined game identity.

Ismailer noted that the team is now refining the project with a revised approach, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

Trend of Key Recruitment

This announcement follows a comparable action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

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

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and talented developers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to continue.”

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

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It affirmed the promise of a action-packed game but indicated we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a clearer brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the criticism to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s poised to fulfill its promise to our fans.

The trust in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To boost the remarkable development you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of 31st Union. Following several months of talks, Ben starts with us on next week.

His guidance and background in the competitive gaming space is considerable, having dedicated the recent years creating and managing some of the most well-known titles in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in receiving Ben next week. We are all eager to continue seeing the evolution of the game in the months to ahead.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee presently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. Then, 31st Union described the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling advancement on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch explains. "Challenge the competition with unique powers, stakes, and obstacles that shift every round. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and hope your team can achieve the highest spot? The option is up to you."

Project Ethos has not yet received an announced release date or supported systems, but enthusiasts can look forward to further news as production advances.