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2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Follows Lukewarm Response

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing unveiling last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified team members about this strategic move through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a distinct direction.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a refreshed focus, aiming to address player expectations.

Trend of Key Recruitment

The news echoes a comparable move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the full content from the president's memo:

Dear Team—

I know you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and talented designers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that partnership to persist.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had improvements to make. It revealed the need for a sharper identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the feedback to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized direction - one that’s poised to fulfill its potential to our fans.

The belief in Project ETHOS grows every day. To advance the incredible development you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce the new hire as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. Following several months of talks, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.

His management and experience in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having devoted the past decade and a half producing and overseeing some of the most popular series in gaming, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in welcoming Ben soon. We are all looking forward to keep seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to ahead.

The President

Background of the New Leader

The appointee presently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in last year in conjunction with a early access event. At the time, the developers presented the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the description explains. "Face the rivals with new abilities, risks, and tests that shift every session. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, put it on the line, and trust your group can achieve the highest spot? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos has not yet received an confirmed debut schedule or platforms, but enthusiasts can look forward to more updates as development progresses.