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2K Games has welcomed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Comes After Lukewarm Feedback

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had indicated the necessity for a clearer vision.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to better meet player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Hires

The news mirrors a similar step taken by the publisher in August, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire message from the president's memo:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented creators we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re excited for that relationship to persist.”

Through your commitment and versatility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game demo was revealing. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had work to do. It revealed the requirement for a clearer vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the feedback to heart and revamped the title with a refreshed direction - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our players.

The trust in this project strengthens every day. To boost the outstanding development you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of the team. Following several months of discussions, he starts with us on the specified date.

His guidance and experience in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having spent the past decade and a half developing and leading some of the most well-known series in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in receiving Ben next week. We are all looking forward to keep witnessing the evolution of the game in the time to ahead.

David

Background of the New Leader

The appointee presently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. At the time, 31st Union described the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary states. "Take on the opponents with fresh skills, risks, and tests that evolve every round. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or aim high, put it on the line, and pray your squad can secure victory? The choice is in your hands."

Project Ethos lacks an confirmed launch window or consoles, but enthusiasts can anticipate more updates as development continues.