🔗 Share this article

2K Games has appointed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Comes After Mixed Response

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at the development studio following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.

Recently, 2K president a key figure updated team members about this strategic move through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had indicated the need for a more defined direction.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

The news follows a similar action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock development group.

Below is the complete message from Ismailer's communication:

Team—

I understand you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a note, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and creative developers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to continue.”

Through your commitment and versatility, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game playtest was revealing. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It revealed the need for a sharper vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You took the feedback to consideration and reimagined the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s ready to fulfill its potential to our players.

The trust in this project increases every day. To advance the incredible progress you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Lead of the team. Following some time of conversations, he officially joins us on next week.

His leadership and experience in the PVP shooter space is vast, having devoted the recent years developing and leading some of the most recognizable series in gaming, for example the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in receiving him soon. We are all eager to persist witnessing the progress of the game in the time to ahead.

The President

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman currently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a early access event. Initially, the developers presented the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting evolution on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch states. "Face the competition with new abilities, challenges, and tests that shift every round. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively take a risk, put it on the line, and hope your team can achieve the highest spot? The choice is up to you."

Project Ethos lacks an confirmed debut schedule or platforms, but players can anticipate more updates as creation advances.