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2K Games has secured 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 Shift Comes After Poor Response

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing initial reveal last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure updated employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had indicated the necessity for a more defined direction.

Ismailer stated that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed approach, aiming to better meet player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Acquisitions

The news mirrors a comparable step taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock development group.

Here is the full content from Ismailer's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative designers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to continue.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

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

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the feedback to heart and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized vision - one that’s ready to achieve its ambition to our fans.

The belief in this project strengthens every day. To boost the incredible progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce the new hire as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. Following a period of discussions, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is extensive, having spent the recent years creating and leading some of the most recognizable series in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in receiving him in the coming days. We are all excited to continue witnessing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to come.

David

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman currently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He previously was employed at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 together with a public demo. Then, the developers portrayed the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch explains. "Face the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that evolve every match. Will you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and trust your group can earn top ranking? The choice is up to you."

Project Ethos does not have an official launch window or supported systems, but players can look forward to additional details as development progresses.