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2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Follows Poor Response

The new appointee assumes 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 initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a clearer direction.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.

A Pattern of Key Hires

This announcement echoes a comparable move taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire content from Ismailer's memo:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and innovative designers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to continue.”

With your dedication and versatility, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game playtest was enlightening. It validated the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had improvements to make. It revealed the need for a clearer brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You took the input to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized vision - one that’s poised to deliver on its promise to our fans.

The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the incoming Studio Head of the team. After some time of talks, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s guidance and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is extensive, having dedicated the last 15 years producing and overseeing some of the most popular franchises in gaming, for example the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben soon. We are all looking forward to keep observing the development of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.

David

Experience of the New Head

The appointee currently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. Then, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling advancement on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch explains. "Challenge the rivals with unique powers, stakes, and obstacles that shift every match. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, put it on the line, and hope your group can achieve the highest spot? The choice is in your hands."

Project Ethos does not have an confirmed debut schedule or supported systems, but fans can expect additional details as production progresses.