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The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Comes After Lukewarm Response

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster initial reveal last fall.

Recently, 2K president a key figure notified employees about this decision through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the need for a more defined vision.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Hires

This announcement echoes a comparable move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the complete message from the president's communication:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative developers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to continue.”

With your dedication and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It confirmed the promise of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the need for a more distinct identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the criticism to heart and revamped the title with a renewed goal - one that’s ready to achieve its promise to our players.

The belief in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of the team. After some time of talks, he comes aboard us on the specified date.

His management and experience in the competitive gaming space is extensive, having dedicated the past decade and a half creating and overseeing some of the most popular series in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in receiving Ben soon. We are all eager to persist seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.

The President

Background of the New Leader

Brinkman presently holds the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. Then, the developers described the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the description explains. "Face the opponents with unique powers, risks, and tests that change every round. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, risk it all, and hope your squad can achieve the highest spot? The option is in your hands."

The game lacks an official debut schedule or consoles, but players can anticipate further news as creation advances.