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2K Games has welcomed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Follows Lukewarm Response

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the necessity for a clearer direction.

The president stated that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to address gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

This announcement mirrors a comparable move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

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

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to endure.”

Given your hard work and versatility, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the necessity for a clearer identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the feedback to mind and revamped the title with a revitalized vision - one that’s poised to deliver on its promise to our fans.

The trust in this project increases every day. To boost the remarkable progress you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Lead of the team. After some time of conversations, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His management and experience in the competitive gaming space is extensive, having devoted the last 15 years developing and leading some of the most recognizable series in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben soon. We are all eager to continue seeing the progress of the game in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Experience of the New Head

The appointee presently holds the position of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, prior to that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in last year together with a public demo. Then, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative advancement on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch reads. "Face the rivals with fresh skills, challenges, and obstacles that change every match. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and trust your team can achieve the highest spot? The decision is in your hands."

The game lacks an confirmed release date or supported systems, but enthusiasts can anticipate further news as development advances.