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2K Games has welcomed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Transition Follows Mixed Feedback

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure updated team members about this decision through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a distinct vision.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to satisfy community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

The news follows a similar step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire content from Ismailer's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just completed your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative creators we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re eager for that partnership to persist.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It affirmed the promise of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the necessity for a clearer vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You took the input to mind and reimagined the title with a revitalized goal - one that’s ready to fulfill its potential to our players.

The trust in this project increases every day. To advance the remarkable progress you’ve made, I’m excited to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of the team. Following some time of talks, he officially joins us on next week.

Ben’s leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having devoted the past decade and a half developing and leading some of the most recognizable series in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to continue seeing the evolution of the game in the time to follow.

David

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman presently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. Then, the developers described the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative evolution on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the description states. "Challenge the opponents with fresh skills, stakes, and tests that change every round. Will you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Alternatively go big, gamble everything, and trust your group can secure victory? The decision is in your hands."

The game has not yet received an official debut schedule or consoles, but fans can look forward to more updates as creation advances.