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2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Comes After Poor Reception

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer updated staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a distinct vision.

The president expressed that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Hires

This announcement mirrors a comparable step taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise development group.

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

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a update, I stated the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and innovative creators we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that relationship to persist.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It confirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but made clear we still had work to do. It revealed the necessity for a more distinct identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the criticism to heart and revamped the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s poised to deliver on its potential to our audience.

The belief in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To advance the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of 31st Union. Following several months of discussions, he officially joins us on next week.

Ben’s leadership and experience in the competitive gaming genre is considerable, having spent the last 15 years developing and overseeing some of the most well-known titles in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in receiving Ben soon. We are all looking forward to persist observing the development of the game in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman presently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in last year in conjunction with a public demo. Initially, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative evolution on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary explains. "Take on the opponents with new abilities, risks, and tests that change every round. Will you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, put it on the line, and trust your group can achieve the highest spot? The option is up to you."

The game lacks an announced release date or platforms, but enthusiasts can look forward to additional details as production advances.