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2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Follows Poor Feedback

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure updated employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the need for a distinct direction.

The president expressed that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to address player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Hires

The news mirrors a comparable step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the complete message from the president's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a note, I stated the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and innovative developers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re excited for that relationship to persist.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last fall’s the game demo was revealing. It validated the appeal of a action-packed game but made clear we still had work to do. It revealed the need for a clearer identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the feedback to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s ready to achieve its potential to our audience.

The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the outstanding progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome the new hire as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. Following several months of conversations, Ben comes aboard us on the specified date.

Ben’s guidance and background in the competitive gaming space is vast, having spent the recent years producing and managing some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in greeting him in the coming days. We are all excited to continue observing the progress of the game in the weeks to follow.

David

Background of the Incoming Head

Brinkman currently holds the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in last year together with a early access event. Then, the developers portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative 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 description reads. "Take on the competition with new abilities, challenges, and obstacles that shift every session. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, put it on the line, and trust your team can achieve the highest spot? The option is yours."

The game lacks an official release date or supported systems, but enthusiasts can look forward to additional details as production progresses.