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

Leadership Transition Comes After Poor Feedback

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a more defined game identity.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now refining the project with a revised vision, aiming to better meet community desires.

Trend of Key Recruitment

This announcement echoes a comparable action taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the entire content from the president's communication:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just completed your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and creative developers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to persist.”

With your dedication and adaptability, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game playtest was enlightening. It confirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had work to do. It highlighted the need for a more distinct vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the criticism to mind and revamped the title with a renewed vision - one that’s poised to achieve its ambition to our audience.

The trust in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To advance the remarkable development you’ve made, I’m excited to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. Following a period of discussions, he starts with us on the specified date.

His management and background in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having dedicated the past decade and a half producing and leading some of the most well-known titles in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in welcoming Ben soon. We are all eager to keep observing the development of Project ETHOS in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee presently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He previously was employed at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "no-cost, 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 fit your unique tactics," the official summary explains. "Challenge the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and obstacles that evolve every match. Do you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Alternatively go big, gamble everything, and hope your team can earn top ranking? The option is yours."

The game lacks an confirmed debut schedule or platforms, but enthusiasts can look forward to further news as production continues.