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2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the anticipated over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Transition Follows Lukewarm Reception

The new appointee steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing unveiling last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure informed employees about this decision through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the need for a more defined game identity.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

The news follows a similar step taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the BioShock development group.

Here is the full message from the president's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and talented creators we have had the chance to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to continue.”

With your dedication and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but made clear we still had work to do. It uncovered the requirement for a clearer identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the criticism to heart and revamped the title with a renewed vision - one that’s poised to achieve its ambition to our fans.

The trust in this project grows every day. To further the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the new Director of the team. After some time of talks, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and background in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having devoted the past decade and a half developing and leading some of the most popular series in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in greeting him in the coming days. We are all eager to continue observing the progress of the game in the months to ahead.

David

Background of the New Head

The appointee presently holds the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in various development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 together with a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting advancement on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the description explains. "Take on the competition with new abilities, risks, and obstacles that evolve every match. Will you leave securely with your collected items? Or go big, gamble everything, and trust your team can secure victory? The option is in your hands."

Project Ethos does not have an announced debut schedule or platforms, but players can look forward to additional details as creation continues.