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The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Change Comes After Lukewarm Feedback

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure updated employees about this strategic move through an internal memo, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had indicated the need for a more defined vision.

The president stated that the team is now refining the project with a revised approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Key Recruitment

The news follows a comparable move taken by the publisher in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the complete message from Ismailer's announcement:

Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a update, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and innovative developers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re eager for that relationship to continue.”

Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game playtest was enlightening. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had work to do. It highlighted the requirement for a clearer brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the criticism to mind and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s ready to achieve its ambition to our players.

The trust in this project grows every day. To advance the incredible advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the new Studio Head of the team. After some time of conversations, he comes aboard us on the specified date.

His leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming field is vast, having spent the last 15 years developing and managing some of the most recognizable titles in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in receiving him in the coming days. We are all eager to keep seeing the evolution of the game in the time to ahead.

David

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee presently serves in the role of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a early access event. Then, the developers described the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch explains. "Challenge the opponents with unique powers, stakes, and challenges that shift every round. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and hope your squad can earn top ranking? The decision is up to you."

Project Ethos lacks an confirmed debut schedule or consoles, but players can anticipate more updates as production advances.