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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 working on the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Comes After Lukewarm Reception

Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing unveiling last autumn.

Recently, 2K president a key figure notified employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had indicated the need for a distinct game identity.

The president stated that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a renewed approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Key Hires

This announcement follows a similar step taken by the publisher in August, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the complete text from Ismailer's memo:

Team—

I know you all just completed your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and innovative developers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that relationship to persist.”

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

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game playtest was enlightening. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had work to do. It revealed the need for a more distinct vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the criticism to mind and reimagined the title with a renewed goal - one that’s ready to achieve its ambition to our fans.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To boost the outstanding advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce the new hire as the new Director of the team. Following a period of discussions, he officially joins us on the specified date.

His management and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having spent the recent years developing and managing some of the most popular titles in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben soon. We are all excited to continue witnessing the progress of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee presently holds the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year together with a community playtest. Initially, 31st Union described the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative evolution on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the description states. "Challenge the rivals with unique powers, challenges, and tests that shift every match. Will you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, put it on the line, and hope your team can earn top ranking? The choice is up to you."

Project Ethos lacks an official launch window or supported systems, but fans can look forward to further news as development progresses.