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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 anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Follows Lukewarm Reception

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure notified team members about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a distinct direction.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to address community desires.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

This announcement follows a comparable action taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire content from Ismailer's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and innovative creators we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to endure.”

Through your commitment and versatility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It validated the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the requirement for a more distinct identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the criticism to mind and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized vision - one that’s ready to deliver on its ambition to our players.

The belief in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the incredible progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the new Lead of the team. After several months of talks, Ben starts with us on next week.

His leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having devoted the recent years producing and leading some of the most recognizable series in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in receiving him next week. We are all looking forward to persist observing the development of the game in the months to ahead.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman currently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, prior to that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 alongside a public demo. Then, the developers portrayed the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the official summary states. "Face the opponents with fresh skills, stakes, and tests that evolve every session. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or aim high, risk it all, and trust your team can achieve the highest spot? The choice is up to you."

The game does not have an announced debut schedule or platforms, but fans can anticipate further news as production advances.