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2K Games has appointed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to direct the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Follows Poor Response

Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at the development studio following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing initial reveal last autumn.

Recently, 2K president a key figure notified employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a distinct game identity.

The president stated that the team is now overhauling the project with a renewed approach, aiming to address community desires.

Trend of Strategic Acquisitions

The news echoes a comparable move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the complete text from the president's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a update, I stated the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and creative designers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to persist.”

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

The community feedback from last fall’s the game playtest was revealing. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but made clear we still had refinements needed. It revealed the need for a sharper brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You took the feedback to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s ready to deliver on its ambition to our audience.

The trust in this project grows every day. To boost the outstanding progress you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. After several months of talks, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and experience in the competitive gaming space is extensive, having dedicated the recent years creating and leading some of the most popular series in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in receiving Ben next week. We are all eager to keep seeing the development of the game in the time to come.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee currently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. Initially, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative evolution on the genre."

"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 description states. "Take on the rivals with fresh skills, risks, and challenges that shift every session. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or go big, put it on the line, and pray your squad can secure victory? The option is up to you."

The game lacks an confirmed launch window or consoles, but fans can anticipate additional details as development advances.