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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Comes After Lukewarm Reception

The new appointee steps into the role of studio head at the development studio following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed staff about this decision through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the requirement for a clearer vision.

Ismailer noted that the team is now refining the project with a refreshed vision, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Key Recruitment

This announcement mirrors a comparable step taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock development group.

Below is the entire message from the president's memo:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just completed your meeting - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a update, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and talented designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to endure.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last fall’s the game testing phase was enlightening. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had work to do. It highlighted the requirement for a clearer identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the feedback to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s poised to fulfill its promise to our audience.

The trust in this project strengthens every day. To further the outstanding development you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head 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 considerable, having dedicated the recent years developing and overseeing some of the most popular series in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in welcoming him soon. We are all looking forward to keep observing the development of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.

David

Background of the Incoming Head

Brinkman currently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in last year together with a community playtest. At the time, the developers portrayed the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative advancement on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the official summary states. "Challenge the opponents with fresh skills, challenges, and challenges that evolve every session. Do you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or aim high, gamble everything, and trust your group can achieve the highest spot? The choice is in your hands."

The game lacks an confirmed launch window or supported systems, but players can anticipate additional details as development advances.