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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Change Follows Poor Reception

Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure notified employees about this decision through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the necessity for a clearer vision.

The president stated that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed approach, aiming to address player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions

The news echoes a comparable move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire message from Ismailer's memo:

Team—

I know you all just finished your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative designers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re eager for that partnership to endure.”

With your dedication and versatility, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game testing phase was informative. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It revealed the necessity for a more distinct vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the input to heart and reimagined the title with a refreshed direction - one that’s poised to achieve its promise to our audience.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To boost the outstanding development you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce the new hire as the latest Director of the team. After a period of discussions, Ben comes aboard us on next week.

His leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming space is vast, having devoted the last 15 years producing and overseeing some of the most well-known series in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in receiving him in the coming days. We are all excited to continue witnessing the progress of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.

The President

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman currently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in last year alongside a community playtest. Initially, the developers portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative evolution on the genre."

"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 description reads. "Take on the competition with fresh skills, risks, and challenges that shift every session. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and trust your group can earn top ranking? The decision is up to you."

The game does not have an confirmed release date or supported systems, but enthusiasts can expect additional details as development continues.