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2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Comes After Mixed Response

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing initial reveal last fall.

Recently, 2K president David Ismailer notified employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had indicated the necessity for a distinct vision.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now overhauling the project with a renewed vision, aiming to satisfy community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

This announcement mirrors a similar action taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock development group.

Below is the complete message from Ismailer's memo:

Dear Team—

I know you all just completed your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and creative designers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to continue.”

With your dedication and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The player input from last fall’s the game testing phase was revealing. It affirmed the promise of a action-packed game but told us we still had work to do. It highlighted the necessity for a clearer identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You took the input to heart and overhauled the title with a renewed direction - one that’s poised to achieve its potential to our audience.

The trust in this project strengthens every day. To advance the remarkable development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Lead of the team. Following a period of discussions, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.

His management and experience in the PVP shooter field is considerable, having devoted the past decade and a half creating and overseeing some of the most popular series in gaming, for example the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.

Please join me in receiving Ben next week. We are all excited to persist seeing the evolution of the game in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee currently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. Initially, 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! Customize your character in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the description explains. "Take on the opponents with new abilities, risks, and tests that shift every match. 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."

Project Ethos lacks an confirmed launch window or platforms, but fans can expect further news as production continues.