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2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Change Follows Poor Reception

Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster unveiling last autumn.

Recently, 2K president a key figure notified employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had indicated the need for a clearer vision.

The president expressed that the developers is now refining the project with a renewed vision, aiming to satisfy community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

The news mirrors a comparable step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock development group.

Here is the entire content from Ismailer's communication:

Dear Team—

I know you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and talented developers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to continue.”

Through your commitment and versatility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game playtest was informative. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a clearer vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the input to mind and revamped the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s poised to achieve its ambition to our fans.

The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To advance the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the latest Lead of the team. After some time of talks, Ben comes aboard us on the specified date.

Ben’s leadership and background in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having spent the recent years producing and managing some of the most popular franchises in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in receiving Ben next week. We are all eager to continue witnessing the development of the game in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Experience of the New Leader

Brinkman currently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 together with a public demo. At the time, the developers presented the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting evolution 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 fit your unique tactics," the description reads. "Take on the competition with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that change every match. Will you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Or go big, put it on the line, and hope your team can achieve the highest spot? The option is up to you."

Project Ethos does not have an official release date or supported systems, but players can expect further news as development progresses.