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2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the anticipated over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Comes After Lukewarm Feedback

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer updated employees about this strategic move through an internal memo, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had revealed the requirement for a distinct direction.

The president noted that the developers is now overhauling the project with a refreshed focus, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement echoes a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the full message from Ismailer's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative creators we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re excited for that relationship to endure.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the necessity for a sharper vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the criticism to heart and overhauled the title with a renewed goal - one that’s ready to deliver on its potential to our audience.

The trust in this project increases every day. To advance the remarkable development you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the new Lead of the team. Following some time of talks, he officially joins us on next week.

His guidance and experience in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having devoted the recent years developing and managing some of the most well-known franchises in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in receiving Ben next week. We are all looking forward to continue observing the evolution of the game in the time to follow.

The President

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman currently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 together with a public demo. At the time, 31st Union described the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling advancement on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the official summary explains. "Challenge the rivals with unique powers, stakes, and tests that change every match. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or go big, gamble everything, and trust your squad can secure victory? The option is in your hands."

Project Ethos lacks an confirmed launch window or platforms, but fans can expect further news as creation progresses.