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2K Games has appointed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the anticipated over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Comes After Poor Feedback

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer notified staff about this decision through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a clearer game identity.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to address gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

This announcement follows a similar step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire message from the president's communication:

Team—

I know you all just finished your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented creators we have had the chance to work with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to endure.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It confirmed the promise of a action-packed game but told us we still had refinements needed. It revealed the necessity for a clearer identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the criticism to mind and reimagined the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s poised to deliver on its promise to our fans.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To further the incredible progress you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the latest Lead of 31st Union. After some time of talks, Ben starts with us on the specified date.

His guidance and background in the competitive gaming genre is extensive, having dedicated the past decade and a half developing and managing some of the most popular franchises in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in receiving him in the coming days. We are all excited to persist witnessing the progress of Project ETHOS in the weeks to ahead.

David

Background of the Incoming Head

Brinkman currently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 together with a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective 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 real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch states. "Take on the competition with new abilities, risks, and challenges that shift every session. Do you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and pray your team can secure victory? The choice is up to you."

The game has not yet received an confirmed debut schedule or platforms, but players can anticipate more updates as development advances.