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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Follows Lukewarm Reception

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster early showing last autumn.

Recently, 2K president a key figure notified employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the requirement for a more defined vision.

The president noted that the team is now reimagining the project with a refreshed focus, aiming to better meet community desires.

Trend of Strategic Hires

This announcement mirrors a similar move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock development group.

Below is the entire text from Ismailer's communication:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a update, I expressed the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to persist.”

Through your commitment and versatility, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The player input from last autumn’s the game playtest was enlightening. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had work to do. It highlighted the requirement for a clearer vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the criticism to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s poised to fulfill its ambition to our players.

The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To advance the outstanding progress you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Director of the team. After a period of conversations, Ben starts with us on the specified date.

His management and background in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having spent the recent years creating and managing some of the most recognizable titles in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in greeting him in the coming days. We are all looking forward to keep witnessing the development of the game in the weeks to come.

David

Background of the New Head

Brinkman currently holds the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously worked at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in last year together with a early access event. Initially, 31st Union presented the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative advancement on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the description explains. "Face the rivals with unique powers, challenges, and challenges that shift every session. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Or aim high, risk it all, and pray your squad can secure victory? The option is yours."

The game has not yet received an official launch window or consoles, but players can look forward to more updates as development progresses.