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2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Comes After Poor Feedback

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure updated team members about this decision through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had indicated the need for a more defined game identity.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now refining the project with a revised approach, aiming to address community desires.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

The news echoes a similar move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the complete content from Ismailer's memo:

Dear Team—

I know you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a message, I stated the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and creative creators we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to persist.”

With your dedication and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the need for a sharper identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the feedback to consideration and reimagined the title with a renewed direction - one that’s poised to achieve its potential to our fans.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS increases every day. To advance the remarkable progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Director of 31st Union. After some time of talks, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.

Ben’s leadership and experience in the competitive gaming genre is considerable, having spent the recent years developing and leading some of the most popular franchises in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in greeting Ben next week. We are all excited to persist witnessing the development of the game in the time to come.

David

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman currently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in various production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 alongside a public demo. Then, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative step forward on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the official summary explains. "Challenge the competition with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that evolve every match. Will you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, risk it all, and trust your squad can achieve the highest spot? The decision is in your hands."

The game lacks an confirmed launch window or platforms, but fans can look forward to additional details as creation continues.