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2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Comes After Poor Feedback

Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming early showing last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure informed staff about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the requirement for a clearer vision.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now refining the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to better meet player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

The news echoes a comparable step taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

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

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative creators we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re excited for that relationship to continue.”

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

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It validated the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had work to do. It highlighted the requirement for a more distinct identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the criticism to mind and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our fans.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To further the outstanding development you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the new Studio Head of the team. After several months of conversations, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and background in the competitive gaming genre is extensive, having spent the recent years developing and overseeing some of the most popular franchises in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in welcoming Ben next week. We are all eager to persist observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to ahead.

The President

Background of the Incoming Head

The appointee presently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in last year alongside a public demo. Then, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling evolution on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch explains. "Take on the rivals with new abilities, stakes, and challenges that change every round. Do you leave securely with your collected items? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and pray your group can earn top ranking? The decision is up to you."

The game does not have an announced release date or consoles, but fans can expect further news as production progresses.