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2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Comes After Mixed Reception

The new appointee takes on 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' disappointing early showing last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure updated team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had revealed the requirement for a more defined vision.

Ismailer noted that the team is now reimagining the project with a revised vision, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

Trend of Strategic Hires

This announcement echoes a comparable step taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the complete text from Ismailer's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that partnership to endure.”

Through your commitment and versatility, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had improvements to make. It revealed the need for a more distinct vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the feedback to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a revitalized vision - one that’s ready to deliver on its ambition to our players.

The belief in this project strengthens every day. To further the incredible development you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the incoming Lead of the team. After a period of conversations, he comes aboard us on the specified date.

His management and expertise in the competitive gaming space is considerable, having spent the last 15 years producing and leading some of the most popular titles in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in greeting him soon. We are all eager to persist seeing the progress of Project ETHOS in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Experience of the New Head

The appointee currently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in last year alongside a public demo. Initially, the developers described the game 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! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the description reads. "Face the competition with unique powers, stakes, and obstacles that evolve every round. Do you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Or aim high, gamble everything, and hope your team can earn top ranking? The decision is up to you."

Project Ethos does not have an official debut schedule or supported systems, but fans can look forward to further news as creation continues.