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2K Games has secured a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Change Comes After Poor Reception

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing unveiling last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified team members about this decision through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the need for a clearer vision.

The president expressed that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to address community desires.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

The news mirrors a comparable step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the complete message from the president's communication:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a message, I stated the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and talented designers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re excited for that partnership to persist.”

With your dedication and adaptability, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It validated the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It highlighted the need for a sharper brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the criticism to heart and reimagined the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s positioned to fulfill its potential to our audience.

The belief in this project grows every day. To boost the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of the team. Following a period of conversations, he starts with us on next week.

His guidance and experience in the competitive gaming genre is extensive, having dedicated the recent years creating and leading some of the most popular franchises in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in greeting Ben soon. We are all looking forward to continue observing the evolution of the game in the weeks to ahead.

David

Background of the New Head

Brinkman currently holds the position of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. Initially, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the description reads. "Take on the opponents with fresh skills, challenges, and tests that shift every session. Will you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Or aim high, risk it all, and hope your team can earn top ranking? The option is in your hands."

The game has not yet received an confirmed release date or platforms, but players can anticipate more updates as creation progresses.