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The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Change Comes After Poor Response

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing early showing last autumn.

Recently, 2K president David Ismailer updated team members about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a more defined game identity.

The president stated that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Hires

The news follows a comparable move taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the full content from the president's memo:

Team—

I understand you all just completed your meeting - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and innovative developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that relationship to continue.”

With your dedication and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game playtest was enlightening. It validated the potential of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had work to do. It highlighted the requirement for a sharper vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the input to heart and reimagined the title with a revitalized direction - one that’s poised to deliver on its ambition to our audience.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To advance the remarkable development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce the new hire as the new Studio Head of the team. After several months of talks, Ben comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s leadership and experience in the PVP shooter field is considerable, having devoted the recent years developing and overseeing some of the most well-known titles in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

Please join me in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to continue seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to ahead.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee presently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. Then, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution 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 description states. "Face the opponents with unique powers, risks, and challenges that evolve every session. Do you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Alternatively aim high, gamble everything, and pray your squad can earn top ranking? The decision is up to you."

Project Ethos has not yet received an official release date or supported systems, but enthusiasts can look forward to additional details as production advances.