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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 forthcoming third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Follows Poor Feedback

Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at the development studio following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer notified employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had revealed the requirement for a clearer game identity.

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

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

This announcement echoes a comparable move taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock development group.

Here is the complete message from the president's memo:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and innovative designers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re excited for that relationship to persist.”

With your dedication and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was revealing. It validated the appeal of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the requirement for a clearer identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You took the input to heart and overhauled the title with a renewed goal - one that’s poised to achieve its potential to our audience.

The trust in this project grows every day. To boost the remarkable development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce the new hire as the latest Director of 31st Union. After some time of talks, Ben starts with us on the specified date.

His guidance and expertise in the competitive gaming field is extensive, having spent the last 15 years producing and managing some of the most popular titles in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in receiving him next week. We are all eager to keep seeing the development of the game in the months to come.

The President

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee currently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in last year together with a public demo. Initially, 31st Union described the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative step forward on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary states. "Challenge the opponents with unique powers, risks, and tests that change every session. Do you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, gamble everything, and hope your squad can earn top ranking? The option is up to you."

The game lacks an official launch window or consoles, but players can look forward to additional details as development progresses.