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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Follows Poor Response

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer informed team members about this strategic move through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the requirement for a more defined vision.

The president expressed that the team is now overhauling the project with a renewed vision, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

The news follows a similar move taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise development group.

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

Team—

I know you all just completed your gathering - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and talented designers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to persist.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It validated the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the necessity for a more distinct brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the input to heart and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s ready to fulfill its promise to our players.

The trust in this project strengthens every day. To boost the incredible progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce the new hire as the incoming Studio Head of the team. After several months of conversations, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and expertise in the competitive gaming space is vast, having dedicated the last 15 years creating and leading some of the most recognizable series in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in greeting him soon. We are all excited to persist witnessing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.

The President

Background of the Incoming Leader

The appointee presently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in last year alongside a community playtest. Initially, the developers presented the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward 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 fit your unique tactics," the description states. "Face the opponents with fresh skills, challenges, and challenges that evolve every session. Do you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Or go big, put it on the line, and trust your squad can secure victory? The decision is up to you."

The game lacks an announced debut schedule or supported systems, but enthusiasts can look forward to additional details as creation progresses.