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2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Follows Poor Response

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed staff about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had indicated the necessity for a clearer game identity.

The president stated that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to satisfy community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions

This announcement follows a comparable step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the complete message from Ismailer's memo:

Dear Team—

I know you all just completed your gathering - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a update, I stated the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and innovative designers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that relationship to continue.”

With your dedication and adaptability, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game testing phase was informative. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the need for a sharper vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the feedback to consideration and reimagined the title with a refreshed direction - one that’s positioned to achieve its potential to our fans.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To advance the incredible advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of the team. Following some time of discussions, he officially joins us on next week.

Ben’s guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter field is vast, having dedicated the recent years producing and overseeing some of the most popular titles in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to keep witnessing the evolution of the game in the months to ahead.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman presently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He previously worked at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. Then, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting evolution on the genre."

"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 description explains. "Challenge the competition with unique powers, challenges, and obstacles that shift every match. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and pray your team can secure victory? The decision is yours."

The game does not have an confirmed debut schedule or supported systems, but players can look forward to additional details as creation advances.