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2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Comes After Poor Response

The new appointee steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster unveiling last autumn.

Recently, 2K president a key figure updated staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the requirement for a distinct game identity.

Ismailer stated that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

This announcement mirrors a comparable move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock development group.

Here is the entire message from Ismailer's memo:

Dear Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your gathering - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and talented creators we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to endure.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but made clear we still had work to do. It highlighted the requirement for a clearer identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You took the criticism to mind and overhauled the title with a revitalized vision - one that’s ready to deliver on its ambition to our players.

The trust in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To further the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the latest Lead of the team. Following a period of conversations, he starts with us on the specified date.

His management and background in the PVP shooter space is vast, having dedicated the past decade and a half producing and managing some of the most popular franchises in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in receiving him soon. We are all eager to persist witnessing the progress of the game in the weeks to follow.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman currently holds the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in last year together with a community playtest. Then, the developers portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling advancement 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 suit your personal playstyle," the official summary states. "Challenge the rivals with new abilities, stakes, and obstacles that shift every match. Will you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and trust your team can achieve the highest spot? The option is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an official debut schedule or platforms, but players can anticipate more updates as development progresses.