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2K Games has secured a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Comes After Poor Feedback

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing early showing last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified staff about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a clearer direction.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement echoes a comparable move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock development group.

Here is the full content from Ismailer's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and innovative developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that relationship to endure.”

Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was revealing. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It revealed the need for a clearer vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the input to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a revitalized vision - one that’s positioned to deliver on its potential to our audience.

The trust in this project grows every day. To boost the remarkable advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. Following a period of conversations, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and background in the competitive gaming field is vast, having dedicated the past decade and a half producing and leading some of the most well-known titles in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in welcoming him in the coming days. We are all excited to keep witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to come.

David

Background of the New Head

Brinkman presently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had periods at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in last year in conjunction with a public demo. Initially, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the description states. "Challenge the rivals with fresh skills, risks, and obstacles that shift every session. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, gamble everything, and hope your squad can earn top ranking? The option is in your hands."

The game has not yet received an confirmed release date or consoles, but players can anticipate additional details as production progresses.