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2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Follows Lukewarm Reception

Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last fall.

Recently, 2K president David Ismailer informed employees about this decision through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the necessity for a distinct game identity.

The president noted that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to address gamer demands.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

The news mirrors a comparable action taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock development group.

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

Dear Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative designers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to persist.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last fall’s the game testing phase was enlightening. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the requirement for a clearer identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the feedback to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s ready to fulfill its ambition to our audience.

The trust in this project increases every day. To advance the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the incoming Studio Head of the team. Following several months of conversations, Ben starts with us on the specified date.

Ben’s management and experience in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having dedicated the last 15 years developing and overseeing some of the most recognizable series in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in greeting him in the coming days. We are all looking forward to continue seeing the progress of the game in the months to ahead.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee currently serves in the role of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in last year together with a community playtest. At the time, the developers described the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the official summary states. "Face the opponents with new abilities, risks, and challenges that evolve every round. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or aim high, risk it all, and pray your team can earn top ranking? The option is yours."

The game has not yet received an confirmed launch window or consoles, but fans can anticipate more updates as development advances.