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2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Comes After Poor Feedback

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a clearer game identity.

Ismailer stated that the team is now overhauling the project with a revised focus, aiming to address gamer demands.

Trend of Key Recruitment

The news mirrors a similar step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the complete text from Ismailer's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Previously I shared you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and talented designers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that relationship to persist.”

With your dedication and versatility, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game testing phase was enlightening. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a clearer identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the criticism to mind and reimagined the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s ready to fulfill its promise to our players.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the outstanding development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of the team. After several months of conversations, Ben starts with us on next week.

His guidance and background in the competitive gaming field is vast, having dedicated the recent years developing and overseeing some of the most well-known series in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in receiving Ben soon. We are all excited to continue seeing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to come.

The President

Experience of the New Leader

Brinkman currently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 alongside a early access event. At the time, the developers described the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling advancement on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the official summary explains. "Challenge the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and tests that shift every session. Do you leave securely with your collected items? Alternatively go big, gamble everything, and trust your group can secure victory? The option is in your hands."

Project Ethos lacks an announced launch window or supported systems, but players can expect further news as creation progresses.