🔗 Share this article

The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Transition Comes After Poor Reception

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer notified employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the requirement for a more defined vision.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now refining the project with a refreshed vision, aiming to address community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions

The news mirrors a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the complete text from Ismailer's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative developers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that partnership to continue.”

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

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a clearer identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the feedback to heart and reimagined the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our players.

The belief in this project increases every day. To advance the incredible progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce the new hire as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. After a period of conversations, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His management and expertise in the competitive gaming space is vast, having spent the past decade and a half creating and overseeing some of the most well-known series in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in greeting Ben next week. We are all excited to keep observing the development of Project ETHOS in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Background of the Incoming Head

Brinkman currently holds the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. Initially, the developers presented the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the description reads. "Face the opponents with new abilities, stakes, and tests that change every session. Do you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Or aim high, risk it all, and hope your team can secure victory? The choice is up to you."

The game has not yet received an announced debut schedule or platforms, but players can look forward to more updates as creation advances.