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2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Transition Comes After Poor Reception

The new appointee steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure updated employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a distinct vision.

The president stated that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to better meet player expectations.

Trend of Key Hires

This announcement echoes a similar step taken by the publisher in August, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock development group.

Below is the complete message from the president's communication:

Team—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and talented designers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re eager for that partnership to persist.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It confirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It revealed the need for a sharper brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the input to consideration and revamped the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s positioned to deliver on its potential to our fans.

The belief in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the latest Lead of the team. Following some time of discussions, Ben starts with us on the specified date.

His management and background in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having spent the last 15 years developing and managing some of the most well-known titles in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all excited to keep observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to come.

The President

Background of the Incoming Leader

The appointee presently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. Initially, the developers described the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting advancement on the category."

"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. "Face the competition with unique powers, risks, and obstacles that change every session. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Or go big, gamble everything, and trust your team can secure victory? The choice is in your hands."

The game does not have an official release date or consoles, but players can anticipate additional details as development advances.