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2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Follows Poor Feedback

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at the development studio following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the necessity for a clearer direction.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now overhauling the project with a renewed vision, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

The news follows a comparable step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock development group.

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

Team—

I understand you all just completed your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a update, I stated the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative creators we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to endure.”

With your dedication and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the necessity for a more distinct identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You took the feedback to mind and reimagined the title with a revitalized vision - one that’s ready to achieve its promise to our audience.

Our confidence in this project grows every day. To advance the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the latest Director of 31st Union. After several months of talks, he officially joins us on the specified date.

His leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having devoted the last 15 years producing and leading some of the most well-known series in gaming, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all excited to persist witnessing the progress of the game in the time to ahead.

The President

Background of the Incoming Head

The appointee presently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in various development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in last year alongside a public demo. Then, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling advancement on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch states. "Take on the opponents with unique powers, challenges, and tests that shift every match. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and hope your squad can earn top ranking? The decision is yours."

The game has not yet received an announced debut schedule or supported systems, but fans can look forward to more updates as creation progresses.