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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the anticipated over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Comes After Mixed Feedback

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure notified employees about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the requirement for a clearer game identity.

Ismailer noted that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to address community desires.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

This announcement follows a comparable move taken by the publisher in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the complete text from Ismailer's communication:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just completed your meeting - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a note, I stated the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and talented creators we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that relationship to endure.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It revealed the necessity for a clearer vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the feedback to mind and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s positioned to fulfill its promise to our players.

The belief in this project grows every day. To boost the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. After several months of talks, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and experience in the competitive gaming space is vast, having dedicated the last 15 years developing and managing some of the most well-known titles in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in welcoming him next week. We are all eager to continue witnessing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to come.

David

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman presently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Concept

Project Ethos was unveiled in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. Initially, 31st Union described the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting advancement 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 game's pitch reads. "Challenge the rivals with fresh skills, stakes, and challenges that evolve every round. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Or go big, gamble everything, and pray your squad can earn top ranking? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos has not yet received an official debut schedule or platforms, but players can look forward to additional details as development advances.