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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 crafting the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Comes After Poor Feedback

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming initial reveal last fall.

Recently, 2K president David Ismailer notified staff about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the requirement for a more defined game identity.

The president expressed that the team is now refining the project with a revised approach, aiming to address community desires.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

The news follows a comparable step taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire content from the president's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that partnership to persist.”

Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had work to do. It revealed the requirement for a clearer brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the feedback to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to fulfill its promise to our audience.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To further the remarkable development you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the new Studio Head of the team. After a period of talks, Ben officially joins us on next week.

His guidance and experience in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having devoted the recent years creating and managing some of the most popular franchises in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in greeting Ben soon. We are all eager to keep witnessing the development of the game in the weeks to follow.

The President

Background of the New Leader

Brinkman presently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year together with a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union described the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch reads. "Take on the competition with fresh skills, risks, and tests that shift every match. Do you leave securely with your collected items? Alternatively take a risk, put it on the line, and hope your team can secure victory? The decision is up to you."

The game has not yet received an official debut schedule or consoles, but players can anticipate more updates as development progresses.