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2K Games has appointed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Comes After Poor Feedback

The new appointee steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer updated employees about this strategic move through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had shown the requirement for a distinct vision.

The president stated that the developers is now refining the project with a revised vision, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

Trend of Key Recruitment

This announcement echoes a similar action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise development group.

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

Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your town hall - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Previously I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to endure.”

With your dedication and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game playtest was informative. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had refinements needed. It revealed the requirement for a more distinct identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You took the criticism to mind and overhauled the title with a revitalized vision - one that’s poised to deliver on its potential to our fans.

The belief in this project strengthens every day. To advance the remarkable development you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the incoming Studio Head of the team. After some time of conversations, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and background in the competitive gaming space is extensive, having devoted the recent years creating and overseeing some of the most popular franchises in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in receiving Ben next week. We are all eager to persist seeing the development of the game in the time to ahead.

The President

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman presently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously was employed at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. Initially, the developers portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward on the category."

"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 game's pitch states. "Challenge the opponents with fresh skills, risks, and tests that evolve every round. Will you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and trust your team can achieve the highest spot? The decision is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an announced launch window or consoles, but fans can anticipate more updates as production progresses.