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The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Change Follows Poor Feedback

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure updated staff about this strategic move through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a clearer direction.

Ismailer stated that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to better meet player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Hires

This announcement mirrors a comparable move taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the full text from the president's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and innovative developers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to endure.”

With your dedication and versatility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a clearer brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the criticism to heart and reimagined Project ETHOS with a revitalized direction - one that’s poised to deliver on its ambition to our players.

The trust in this project increases every day. To boost the incredible progress you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the incoming Director of 31st Union. After a period of discussions, he comes aboard us on next week.

Ben’s leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter space is vast, having spent the recent years developing and overseeing some of the most recognizable titles in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to continue observing the progress of the game in the time to follow.

The President

Background of the New Head

The appointee currently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Concept

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. Initially, the developers portrayed the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting advancement on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch explains. "Face the rivals with fresh skills, stakes, and obstacles that evolve every round. Will you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and pray your squad can secure victory? The option is yours."

The game lacks an confirmed launch window or consoles, but players can expect further news as development continues.