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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Comes After Poor Feedback

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure notified team members about this decision through an internal memo, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a clearer direction.

The president stated that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Hires

This announcement follows a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

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

Team—

I know you all just completed your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and creative developers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re excited for that partnership to endure.”

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

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was revealing. It validated the appeal of a action-packed game but indicated we still had work to do. It revealed the need for a clearer identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You took the input to consideration and revamped the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s positioned to achieve its ambition to our players.

The belief in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To boost the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of 31st Union. After a period of conversations, Ben starts with us on the specified date.

Ben’s leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is extensive, having devoted the last 15 years creating and leading some of the most popular franchises in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben soon. We are all excited to continue seeing the progress of the game in the months to follow.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman presently holds the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He previously worked at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 together with a public demo. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative step forward 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 match your preferred approach," the game's pitch states. "Challenge the competition with unique powers, challenges, and tests that evolve every session. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively aim high, put it on the line, and hope your group can achieve the highest spot? The choice is in your hands."

Project Ethos does not have an official debut schedule or platforms, but fans can anticipate further news as production progresses.