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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Follows Mixed Reception

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster unveiling last fall.

Recently, 2K president a key figure informed staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the need for a clearer game identity.

Ismailer noted that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to address player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Hires

This announcement mirrors a comparable action taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise development group.

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

Dear Team—

I understand you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented designers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to continue.”

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

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the requirement for a more distinct identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the criticism to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized vision - one that’s ready to fulfill its ambition to our audience.

The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To advance the outstanding progress you’ve made, I’m excited to announce Ben Brinkman as the new Studio Head of the team. After some time of talks, he comes aboard us on the specified date.

Ben’s leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is extensive, having spent the past decade and a half creating and leading some of the most popular series in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in greeting Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to continue witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.

David

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee presently serves in the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 together with a early access event. Then, 31st Union described the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative advancement on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary explains. "Challenge the competition with unique powers, challenges, and obstacles that shift every round. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and hope your team can secure victory? The choice is up to you."

Project Ethos has not yet received an confirmed debut schedule or consoles, but players can look forward to further news as production progresses.