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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Follows Poor Response

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure updated employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the need for a more defined direction.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now refining the project with a revised vision, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Acquisitions

The news mirrors a similar action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the complete message from Ismailer's memo:

Team—

I know you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and innovative designers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re eager for that relationship to endure.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the requirement for a sharper brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the feedback to heart and revamped the title with a revitalized vision - one that’s ready to fulfill its potential to our audience.

The trust in this project grows every day. To boost the remarkable progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Studio Head of the team. Following a period of talks, he comes aboard us on the specified date.

Ben’s leadership and background in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having dedicated the recent years producing and leading some of the most well-known titles in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in greeting Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to persist witnessing the evolution of the game in the time to follow.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman presently holds 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 various development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 alongside a early access event. At the time, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative evolution on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the official summary explains. "Take on the competition with unique powers, challenges, and tests that change every match. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or take a risk, put it on the line, and pray your squad can achieve the highest spot? The option is in your hands."

The game has not yet received an confirmed release date or platforms, but players can anticipate more updates as production continues.