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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Follows Poor Feedback

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing initial reveal last fall.

Recently, 2K president a key figure notified team members about this decision through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the need for a more defined direction.

Ismailer stated that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to better meet community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

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

Here is the full message from Ismailer's announcement:

Dear Team—

I know 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 update, I stated the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative creators we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to continue.”

Given your hard work and versatility, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The player input from last fall’s the game demo was enlightening. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the need for a sharper vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You took the feedback to mind and reimagined the title with a renewed vision - one that’s positioned to fulfill its promise to our players.

The trust in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To boost the outstanding development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce the new hire as the incoming Director of the team. After several months of conversations, Ben comes aboard us on next week.

Ben’s guidance and background in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having spent the past decade and a half producing and overseeing some of the most well-known series in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in welcoming him next week. We are all excited to persist observing the progress of the game in the months to follow.

The President

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman currently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 alongside a early access event. Initially, the developers presented the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling evolution on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the official summary states. "Face the competition with new abilities, stakes, and tests that shift every match. Will you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and trust your team can achieve the highest spot? The decision is up to you."

The game lacks an confirmed debut schedule or platforms, but enthusiasts can look forward to additional details as production progresses.