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2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Comes After Mixed Reception

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster unveiling last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure notified staff about this decision through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the need for a distinct game identity.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to better meet community desires.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

This announcement follows a similar move taken by the publisher in August, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the full text from the president's communication:

Dear Team—

I know you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative designers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to continue.”

Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last fall’s the game testing phase was enlightening. It validated the appeal of a action-packed game but made clear we still had work to do. It revealed the necessity for a more distinct identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the feedback to mind and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s ready to achieve its promise to our players.

The trust in this project strengthens every day. To advance the incredible advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce the new hire as the new Lead of the team. After several months of talks, he officially joins us on next week.

His guidance and experience in the PVP shooter space is vast, having spent the past decade and a half developing and managing some of the most popular franchises in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in receiving Ben soon. We are all eager to keep witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.

The President

Background of the New Head

Brinkman currently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. Then, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative step forward on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch explains. "Take on the competition with unique powers, challenges, and obstacles that evolve every match. Will you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and hope your squad can earn top ranking? The option is in your hands."

The game lacks an confirmed release date or platforms, but fans can look forward to more updates as creation advances.