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2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Comes After Mixed Response

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing early showing last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed employees about this decision through an internal memo, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a distinct vision.

Ismailer noted that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

This announcement echoes a comparable step taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire text from Ismailer's announcement:

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 sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and talented designers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to continue.”

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

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It confirmed the promise of a action-packed game but made clear we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the need for a more distinct identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the feedback to mind and overhauled the title with a revitalized goal - one that’s positioned to deliver on its potential to our fans.

The trust in this project increases every day. To boost the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Studio Head of 31st Union. Following some time of conversations, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and background in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having devoted the last 15 years producing and overseeing some of the most popular titles in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to continue observing the progress of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.

David

Experience of the New Head

The appointee currently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He previously was employed at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

Project Ethos was unveiled in last year alongside a public demo. Initially, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person 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 live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the official summary reads. "Challenge the opponents with unique powers, stakes, and obstacles that shift every round. Do you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Or go big, put it on the line, and trust your team can secure victory? The option is up to you."

Project Ethos does not have an announced release date or consoles, but players can look forward to further news as development progresses.