2K has laid off an unspecified number of staff at 31st Union, the studio behind free-to-play shooter Project Ethos, as part of a pivot to a 'renewed direction and vision.' Studio head Ben Brinkman announced the cuts in an internal memo yesterday, stating that 'changes need to be made to our team in order to realize our goals' and that success depends on working 'more quickly and nimbly.' The layoffs align the team size with the project's current development stage, parting ways with 'some valued colleagues.'

Project Ethos, billed as a skill-based PvP roguelike experience, debuted in 2024 to a lukewarm reception shortly after Sony's Concord hero shooter imploded. The studio, formed in 2019 under ex-Sledgehammer boss Michael Condrey, saw Condrey ousted in early 2025 amid that muted response; Brinkman took over six months later. Take-Two remains committed, with CEO Strauss Zelnick touting the lineup including Ethos.

Brinkman's memo doubles down on optimism, claiming confidence in the game's future despite the upheaval—and a shift toward a more fantasy-infused visual style in new concept art. In an industry where hero shooters keep getting reloaded only to jam, this 'scaling back' memo echoes the familiar corporate refrain: trim the fat, pivot hard, and hope the market notices. The real question is whether players will.