The developer behind Project Ethos has suffered a round of layoffs, but publisher 2K and parent company Take-Two are sticking with the game.
In an internal memo sent from Ben Brinkman, Studio Head of 31st Union and shared with IGN by 2K, it was confirmed that the development team will be scaled back “to better align with where we are in development.” There’s no word on how many staff are affecting, nor is there mention of when Project Ethos will actually come out.
Brinkman did, however, say he has “never been more confident in the future of our game, this team, and the commitment and investment Take-Two and 2K leadership continue to show.”
Here’s the memo in full:
31U Team –
Our studio is committed to building a bold new game with a renewed direction and vision – a skill-based PVP roguelike experience that will challenge and thrill players. We’ve evolved as a team this past year in what has been a defining period of creative growth. While the moves we’re making haven't always been easy, they are what is required to push us forward. I believe strongly in our ability to deliver on this vision and the promise of this game.
Since joining 31st Union, it's become clear that changes need to be made to our team in order to realize our goals and deliver this experience for players. Our success is dependent on our ability to work more quickly and nimbly. To do that, we've made the difficult decision to scale back our team to better align with where we are in development, which unfortunately means parting ways with some valued colleagues today.
While today is going to be hard, I’ve never been more confident in the future of our game, this team, and the commitment and investment Take-Two and 2K leadership continue to show.
I want to give my sincere thanks to those leaving us today for their contributions to our studio and game. We’re committed to supporting them through this however we can.
I know this will be a hard day for everyone. Please give yourself and your peers the space you need as we process and adjust to these changes.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to me, your manager or our HR partners if you have questions or need any support.
2K did provide a new piece of concept art for the game, below.
Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 as a free-to-play, third-person, hero extraction shooter with some roguelike elements. At the time, IGN previewed the game, saying it "fails at being a new experience that players will crave over and over again."
31st Union was founded in 2019 by ex-Sledgehammer Games co-founder Michael Condrey and originally referred to as 2K Silicon Valley. In February 2025, Kotaku reported that Condrey was fired by 2K Games due to the lukewarm reception of the game. At the time, 2K reassured employees it would continue to support the project.
Brinkman joined 31st Union last year from EA, where he was executive producer on Apex Legends from 2020. Before that he spent six years at Treyarch on Call of Duty. Based on Brinkman’s memo, Project Ethos has gone through some significant changes. It’s described as a “skill-based PVP roguelike experience that will challenge and thrill players.” There’s still no release window.
Project Ethos isn't the only game that's proven tricky for 2K. In a recent interview, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said he was "deeply disappointed" at how long the new BioShock game was taking to get right, admitting the company had "wasted a lot of time and money chasing down some creative alleys that turned out to be dead ends."
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
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