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2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the anticipated over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Comes After Poor Response

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at the development studio following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a more defined vision.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Hires

The news echoes a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire message from Ismailer's announcement:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative creators we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that partnership to continue.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The player input from last autumn’s the game playtest was enlightening. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but told us we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the necessity for a more distinct brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the input to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s poised to deliver on its promise to our audience.

The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the remarkable development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce the new hire as the new Studio Head of 31st Union. Following some time of talks, Ben officially joins us on next week.

His management and background in the competitive gaming space is considerable, having devoted the past decade and a half producing and leading some of the most recognizable series in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to persist witnessing the progress of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.

The President

Background of the New Head

Brinkman currently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 alongside a public demo. Then, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative evolution on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch states. "Take on the competition with new abilities, stakes, and tests that change every session. Will you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, put it on the line, and hope your group can earn top ranking? The choice is yours."

The game does not have an official debut schedule or consoles, but enthusiasts can expect more updates as production progresses.