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2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Comes After Poor Response

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster unveiling last fall.

Recently, 2K president a key figure notified employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the necessity for a more defined direction.

Ismailer noted that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a renewed approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Strategic Hires

This announcement mirrors a similar action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the complete message from Ismailer's communication:

Team—

I understand you all just completed your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and talented creators we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to endure.”

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

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game testing phase was informative. It confirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the requirement for a clearer brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the input to heart and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s positioned to fulfill its promise to our players.

The trust in this project increases every day. To further the remarkable development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome the new hire as the new Director of the team. Following a period of discussions, Ben officially joins us on next week.

His leadership and experience in the PVP shooter space is vast, having devoted the last 15 years developing and leading some of the most recognizable franchises in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in greeting Ben in the coming days. We are all excited to continue observing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.

The President

Background of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman presently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 alongside a public demo. Then, 31st Union described the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative advancement on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the description explains. "Challenge the competition with new abilities, stakes, and challenges that evolve every session. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, gamble everything, and pray your group can achieve the highest spot? The decision is up to you."

Project Ethos lacks an official debut schedule or consoles, but enthusiasts can anticipate further news as creation advances.