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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Comes After Mixed Feedback

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer notified staff about this decision through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the necessity for a more defined game identity.

The president noted that the team is now overhauling the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

Trend of Key Recruitment

The news echoes a similar step taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the complete text from the president's communication:

Team—

I understand you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Previously I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and creative creators we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re excited for that relationship to endure.”

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

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the requirement for a clearer identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the feedback to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s positioned to fulfill its promise to our audience.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS increases every day. To advance the incredible progress you’ve made, I’m excited to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of the team. After some time of conversations, he officially joins us on next week.

His leadership and background in the PVP shooter field is considerable, having devoted the recent years developing and managing some of the most popular series in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in welcoming Ben next week. We are all looking forward to keep seeing the progress of the game in the time to come.

David

Background of the New Head

The appointee presently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 together with a public demo. Initially, 31st Union described the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative evolution on the category."

"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 game's pitch states. "Take on the competition with fresh skills, stakes, and obstacles that evolve every session. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and hope your squad can earn top ranking? The option is in your hands."

Project Ethos has not yet received an official launch window or supported systems, but players can expect further news as production continues.