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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Comes After Mixed Response

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure notified team members about this decision through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had indicated the need for a more defined vision.

The president noted that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to better meet community desires.

A Pattern of Key Hires

This announcement mirrors a similar step taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the BioShock development group.

Below is the full message from Ismailer's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a update, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and talented creators we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to continue.”

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

The player input from last autumn’s the game demo was revealing. It validated the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It revealed the requirement for a clearer vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the feedback to mind and revamped the title with a revitalized goal - one that’s poised to fulfill its potential to our fans.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To boost the incredible development you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the latest Lead of 31st Union. After several months of talks, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and experience in the PVP shooter space is vast, having dedicated the past decade and a half developing and leading some of the most well-known series in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all excited to persist witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.

David

Background of the New Head

Brinkman presently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously was employed at major gaming companies in various development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in last year in conjunction with a public demo. Initially, the developers presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting evolution on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary states. "Challenge the rivals with unique powers, stakes, and challenges that change every match. Will you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively aim high, put it on the line, and trust your group can earn top ranking? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an official debut schedule or supported systems, but players can look forward to further news as development continues.