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2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Follows Poor Response

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer notified team members about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a distinct direction.

The president stated that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

The news mirrors a comparable action taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the entire content from Ismailer's announcement:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a update, I stated the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and talented creators we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to continue.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It confirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but made clear we still had work to do. It revealed the requirement for a sharper identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the feedback to mind and overhauled the title with a refreshed direction - one that’s poised to achieve its potential to our audience.

The trust in this project grows every day. To further the incredible progress you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of 31st Union. After some time of conversations, Ben starts with us on the specified date.

His leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter field is vast, having spent the last 15 years creating and overseeing some of the most popular series in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben next week. We are all eager to continue witnessing the development of the game in the months to ahead.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Leader

The appointee currently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 alongside a public demo. Initially, the developers presented the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling evolution on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary states. "Take on the opponents with unique powers, challenges, and obstacles that evolve every session. Do you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Or aim high, gamble everything, and hope your group can achieve the highest spot? The option is up to you."

The game lacks an announced debut schedule or consoles, but fans can anticipate additional details as creation continues.