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2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Transition Comes After Poor Feedback

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing early showing last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the need for a clearer direction.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to address player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

The news echoes a similar step taken by the publisher in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock development group.

Below is the entire text from Ismailer's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a update, I stated the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative designers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re excited for that partnership to continue.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It confirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It revealed the necessity for a sharper identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the criticism to mind and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s poised to deliver on its ambition to our players.

The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the outstanding progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. Following a period of discussions, he comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter field is considerable, having devoted the last 15 years creating and overseeing some of the most well-known series in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to persist seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to come.

David

Experience of the New Leader

Brinkman currently serves in the role of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously worked at major gaming companies in various production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

Project Ethos was unveiled in last year in conjunction with a early access event. At the time, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the description states. "Challenge the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and obstacles that shift every match. Do you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and pray your squad can secure victory? The option is yours."

Project Ethos does not have an confirmed debut schedule or supported systems, but enthusiasts can look forward to additional details as production continues.