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2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the forthcoming third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Follows Mixed Response

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

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated staff about this decision through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a distinct direction.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now refining the project with a revised vision, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions

This announcement echoes a similar action taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the full text from the president's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and talented developers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to persist.”

Given your hard work and versatility, especially over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

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

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the criticism to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s positioned to fulfill its ambition to our fans.

The belief in this project grows every day. To boost the outstanding progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce the new hire as the new Director of 31st Union. Following several months of conversations, he officially joins us on the specified date.

His leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter field is vast, having devoted the recent years producing and overseeing some of the most recognizable titles in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in receiving him in the coming days. We are all looking forward to persist witnessing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.

David

Background of the New Leader

Brinkman currently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He previously was employed at major gaming companies in various development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year alongside a community playtest. Initially, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling evolution on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the description reads. "Face the competition with unique powers, challenges, and challenges that evolve every match. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, gamble everything, and pray your squad can earn top ranking? The decision is in your hands."

The game has not yet received an announced launch window or platforms, but enthusiasts can anticipate further news as production advances.