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2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Comes After Lukewarm Reception

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure updated team members about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had indicated the necessity for a clearer direction.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed approach, aiming to address community desires.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

The news mirrors a comparable move taken by the publisher in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the entire text from Ismailer's announcement:

Dear Team—

I know you all just completed your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Previously I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative creators we have had the chance to work with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to persist.”

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

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It affirmed the promise of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the need for a more distinct vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the input to mind and overhauled the title with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to achieve its potential to our players.

The trust in this project grows every day. To boost the incredible progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Studio Head of the team. Following a period of discussions, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s management and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is considerable, having devoted the past decade and a half producing and managing some of the most popular series in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in greeting him in the coming days. We are all eager to continue observing the evolution of the game in the weeks to follow.

David

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee presently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in last year in conjunction with a public demo. Initially, 31st Union presented the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting step forward on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the official summary reads. "Challenge the opponents with new abilities, stakes, and obstacles that shift every match. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or go big, risk it all, and hope your group can achieve the highest spot? The option is up to you."

Project Ethos lacks an official launch window or platforms, but enthusiasts can look forward to additional details as production advances.