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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Comes After Lukewarm Feedback

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last autumn.

Recently, 2K president David Ismailer notified employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had revealed the requirement for a distinct game identity.

The president noted that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement follows a similar action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

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

Dear Team—

I understand you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented designers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to continue.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but made clear we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the requirement for a sharper brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the input to mind and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s poised to achieve its ambition to our players.

The belief in this project grows every day. To advance the incredible advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. After a period of conversations, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His management and expertise in the PVP shooter field is extensive, having spent the past decade and a half developing and managing some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in greeting him next week. We are all eager to keep observing the development of Project ETHOS in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman presently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 alongside a public demo. At the time, the developers presented the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative advancement on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch explains. "Challenge the competition with unique powers, risks, and tests that evolve every session. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or go big, put it on the line, and hope your team can secure victory? The decision is up to you."

The game does not have an announced release date or supported systems, but fans can expect further news as production continues.