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

Leadership Change Follows Poor Feedback

The new appointee steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified team members about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the requirement for a clearer vision.

Ismailer stated that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a refreshed focus, aiming to address gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

This announcement echoes a comparable move taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the entire content from the president's communication:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just completed your gathering - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative designers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re excited for that partnership to endure.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game testing phase was revealing. It confirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the necessity for a more distinct vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the feedback to mind and overhauled the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s poised to fulfill its promise to our players.

The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the incredible advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to announce Ben Brinkman as the new Studio Head of 31st Union. Following several months of discussions, he starts with us on next week.

His guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter field is considerable, having spent the past decade and a half developing and managing some of the most well-known titles in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in greeting him soon. We are all looking forward to keep observing the development of the game in the time to ahead.

The President

Background of the New Leader

Brinkman currently holds the position of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Concept

Project Ethos was unveiled in last year together with a early access event. At the time, 31st Union presented the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting advancement on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the official summary explains. "Face the competition with unique powers, risks, and challenges that evolve every session. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and pray your group can achieve the highest spot? The option is up to you."

Project Ethos has not yet received an announced launch window or consoles, but fans can anticipate more updates as production continues.