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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Change Comes After Lukewarm Feedback

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last autumn.

Recently, 2K president a key figure updated team members about this decision through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a more defined direction.

The president expressed that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to address community desires.

Trend of Key Hires

This announcement echoes a comparable step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the entire content from the president's memo:

Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and creative developers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to continue.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was revealing. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had work to do. It highlighted the need for a clearer vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the input to consideration and revamped the title with a renewed goal - one that’s poised to fulfill its promise to our fans.

The trust in this project increases every day. To boost the remarkable progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. Following some time of talks, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and experience in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having devoted the past decade and a half creating and managing some of the most popular titles in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in greeting him in the coming days. We are all looking forward to keep seeing the progress of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.

David

Background of the Incoming Leader

The appointee presently holds the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Concept

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a early access event. At the time, the developers presented the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting advancement on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch explains. "Face the competition with fresh skills, risks, and challenges that shift every round. Do you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and hope your squad can secure victory? The choice is up to you."

The game has not yet received an announced launch window or consoles, but players can look forward to additional details as development advances.