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2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Comes After Poor Response

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure updated employees about this decision through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the requirement for a distinct vision.

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

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

The news echoes a comparable move taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the complete message from the president's memo:

Team—

I know you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic 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 motivated and creative developers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re eager for that partnership to continue.”

With your dedication and flexibility, especially over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game demo was informative. It validated the appeal of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the requirement for a clearer identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the feedback to mind and reimagined the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s positioned to deliver on its promise to our fans.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To further the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Studio Head of 31st Union. After a period of talks, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s guidance and background in the PVP shooter space is vast, having spent the recent years producing and leading some of the most popular titles in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in receiving him soon. We are all eager to keep observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to come.

The President

Experience of the New Leader

Brinkman presently holds the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in last year together with a public demo. At the time, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch reads. "Take on the opponents with new abilities, risks, and tests that shift every round. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and trust your squad can achieve the highest spot? The option is yours."

The game does not have an confirmed release date or supported systems, but enthusiasts can expect more updates as production progresses.