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

Management Change Follows Lukewarm Feedback

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed team members about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had indicated the necessity for a clearer direction.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to better meet community desires.

Trend of Key Hires

The news mirrors a similar step taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire message from the president's communication:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a note, I stated the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative creators we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to endure.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It validated the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the requirement for a clearer brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the input to mind and overhauled the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s ready to deliver on its potential to our audience.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To advance the incredible development you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce the new hire as the incoming Lead of the team. After several months of conversations, he starts with us on next week.

His management and experience in the competitive gaming field is extensive, having devoted the past decade and a half producing and leading some of the most popular series in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to continue observing the evolution of the game in the months to follow.

The President

Background of the New Leader

Brinkman currently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in various production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. Then, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling advancement on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the description states. "Take on the rivals with new abilities, stakes, and tests that evolve every match. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or go big, risk it all, and pray your group can achieve the highest spot? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an official debut schedule or supported systems, but players can look forward to further news as production advances.