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2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Change Follows Mixed Reception

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster unveiling last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure updated employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had shown the need for a clearer vision.

Ismailer stated that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

Trend of Key Recruitment

The news mirrors a similar move taken by the publisher in August, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the complete text from the president's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a note, I stated the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative creators we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to persist.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It revealed the need for a clearer vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the feedback to heart and overhauled the title with a renewed goal - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our audience.

The trust in this project increases every day. To boost the outstanding progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce the new hire as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. Following some time of discussions, he comes aboard us on the specified date.

His leadership and background in the competitive gaming space is considerable, having dedicated the past decade and a half creating and overseeing some of the most recognizable series in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in greeting Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to keep observing the progress of Project ETHOS in the weeks to come.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee currently holds the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Concept

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. Then, 31st Union described the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative step forward 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 official summary reads. "Challenge the competition with new abilities, risks, and challenges that evolve every match. Do you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, risk it all, and hope your team can secure victory? The choice is up to you."

Project Ethos has not yet received an announced release date or consoles, but players can look forward to more updates as development progresses.