2K lays off staff working on free-to-play shooter Project Ethos, while hinting at "new direction and focus"
2K confirmed layoffs at 31st Union, the studio behind Project Ethos, and said the team is being scaled back to better match the game’s current stage of development. Studio head Ben Brinkman described the project as having a “renewed direction and vision,” with a stronger fantasy-leaning identity in the new concept art.
For developers, the important part is the signal: this is a live-service/free-to-play shooter getting re-scoped after a muted reveal, with the studio explicitly citing the need to work “more quickly and nimbly.” Project Ethos was announced in 2024 as a roguelike hero shooter, then reintroduced here as a skill-based PvP roguelike. Take-Two still lists it in financial reporting, and leadership continues to publicly back it, but the staffing cut suggests the team is being reshaped around a narrower plan.
“changes need to be made to our team in order to realize our goals”
- what
- 2K laid off staff at 31st Union, the studio developing Project Ethos.
- who
- Studio head Ben Brinkman sent the internal memo; 2K shared it with GamesIndustry.biz.
- when
- Project Ethos was announced in 2024; Brinkman joined 31st Union six months later.
- impact
- The team is being scaled back, implying a smaller scope and likely fewer resources for development.
Layoffs and a midstream reset signal trouble, despite continued backing.
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