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2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Follows Mixed Feedback

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer updated team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a clearer game identity.

The president noted that the team is now refining the project with a renewed approach, aiming to address player expectations.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

This announcement follows a similar step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock development group.

Here is the complete content from Ismailer's memo:

Team—

I know you all just finished your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative designers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re eager for that relationship to persist.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It affirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the requirement for a sharper brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the input to mind and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s poised to deliver on its ambition to our players.

The belief in Project ETHOS grows every day. To boost the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Director of the team. After some time of talks, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His management and experience in the competitive gaming field is vast, having dedicated the past decade and a half developing and overseeing some of the most well-known series in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to persist observing the evolution of the game in the time to come.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman currently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in various production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in last year alongside a public demo. At the time, 31st Union described the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the official summary reads. "Challenge the rivals with fresh skills, stakes, and challenges that shift every session. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or go big, gamble everything, and trust your squad can secure victory? The choice is yours."

The game lacks an announced debut schedule or platforms, but enthusiasts can anticipate further news as creation progresses.