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2K Games has secured a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Comes After Poor Reception

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer informed staff about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the need for a distinct vision.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to address gamer demands.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

This announcement follows a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the full text from Ismailer's announcement:

Team—

I know you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and creative developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to continue.”

With your dedication and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It validated the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had work to do. It revealed the requirement for a more distinct vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the feedback to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s poised to deliver on its promise to our players.

The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the outstanding progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome the new hire as the incoming Director of the team. After a period of conversations, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.

His management and background in the competitive gaming space is vast, having spent the last 15 years developing and overseeing some of the most recognizable titles in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in greeting him next week. We are all looking forward to persist witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.

David

Background of the New Leader

Brinkman presently holds the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. Then, the developers described the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting evolution on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the description states. "Challenge the rivals with fresh skills, risks, and obstacles that shift every round. Do you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Or take a risk, put it on the line, and trust your team can secure victory? The choice is up to you."

The game does not have an official debut schedule or supported systems, but enthusiasts can expect more updates as creation continues.