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2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Comes After Mixed Reception

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed staff about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the necessity for a distinct vision.

The president stated that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a refreshed focus, aiming to address player expectations.

Trend of Key Recruitment

This announcement echoes a comparable step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the full text from Ismailer's memo:

Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and creative designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that partnership to endure.”

With your dedication and versatility, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the necessity for a clearer vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the input to mind and reimagined the title with a refreshed direction - one that’s positioned to deliver on its promise to our players.

The belief in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To further the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. Following several months of discussions, Ben starts with us on the specified date.

Ben’s leadership and background in the PVP shooter field is considerable, having spent the last 15 years developing and leading some of the most recognizable titles in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to continue seeing the progress of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.

David

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee currently holds the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 together with a community playtest. Initially, the developers portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary reads. "Face the rivals with unique powers, risks, and challenges that evolve every round. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and hope your team can secure victory? The decision is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an announced debut schedule or supported systems, but players can expect further news as production continues.