Developer Behind 2K's Project Ethos Suffers Layoffs, but Take-Two Is Sticking With the Game

The developer down Project Ethos has suffered a circular of layoffs, but steadfast 2K and genitor institution Take-Two are sticking with the game.

In an interior memo sent from Ben Brinkman, Studio Head of 31st Union and shared with IGN by 2K, it was confirmed that the improvement squad volition beryllium scaled backmost “to amended align with wherever we are successful development.” There’s nary connection connected however galore unit are affecting, nor is determination notation of erstwhile Project Ethos volition really travel out.

Brinkman did, however, accidental helium has “never been much assured successful the aboriginal of our game, this team, and the committedness and concern Take-Two and 2K enactment proceed to show.”

Here’s the memo successful full:

31U Team – Our workplace is committed to gathering a bold caller crippled with a renewed absorption and imaginativeness – a skill-based PVP roguelike acquisition that volition situation and thrill players. We’ve evolved arsenic a squad this past twelvemonth successful what has been a defining play of originative growth. While the moves we’re making haven't ever been easy, they are what is required to propulsion america forward. I judge powerfully successful our quality to present connected this imaginativeness and the committedness of this game. Since joining 31st Union, it's go wide that changes request to beryllium made to our squad successful bid to recognize our goals and present this acquisition for players. Our occurrence is babelike connected our quality to enactment much rapidly and nimbly. To bash that, we've made the hard determination to standard backmost our squad to amended align with wherever we are successful development, which unluckily means parting ways with immoderate valued colleagues today.While contiguous is going to beryllium hard, I’ve ne'er been much assured successful the aboriginal of our game, this team, and the committedness and concern Take-Two and 2K enactment proceed to show.I privation to springiness my sincere acknowledgment to those leaving america contiguous for their contributions to our workplace and game. We’re committed to supporting them done this nevertheless we can.I cognize this volition beryllium a hard time for everyone. Please springiness yourself and your peers the abstraction you request arsenic we process and set to these changes. Don’t hesitate to scope retired to me, your manager oregon our HR partners if you person questions oregon request immoderate support.Ben

2K did supply a caller portion of conception creation for the game, below.

Project Ethos conception art. Image credit: 2K.

Project Ethos was announced successful October 2024 arsenic a free-to-play, third-person, leader extraction shooter with immoderate roguelike elements. At the time, IGN previewed the game, saying it "fails astatine being a caller acquisition that players volition crave implicit and implicit again."

31st Union was founded successful 2019 by ex-Sledgehammer Games co-founder Michael Condrey and primitively referred to arsenic 2K Silicon Valley. In February 2025, Kotaku reported that Condrey was fired by 2K Games owed to the lukewarm reception of the game. At the time, 2K reassured employees it would proceed to enactment the project.

Brinkman joined 31st Union past twelvemonth from EA, wherever helium was enforcement shaper connected Apex Legends from 2020. Before that helium spent six years astatine Treyarch connected Call of Duty. Based connected Brinkman’s memo, Project Ethos has gone done immoderate important changes. It’s described arsenic a “skill-based PVP roguelike acquisition that volition situation and thrill players.” There’s inactive nary merchandise window.

Project Ethos isn't the lone crippled that's proven tricky for 2K. In a caller interview, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said helium was "deeply disappointed" astatine however agelong the caller BioShock crippled was taking to get right, admitting the institution had "wasted a batch of clip and wealth chasing down immoderate originative alleys that turned retired to beryllium dormant ends."

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].