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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Comes After Poor Reception

The new appointee steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster early showing last autumn.

Recently, 2K president a key figure updated employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had indicated the need for a distinct game identity.

Ismailer noted that the team is now reimagining the project with a revised vision, aiming to address gamer demands.

Trend of Strategic Hires

The news follows a similar move taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the full text from Ismailer's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and innovative creators we have had the chance to work with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to continue.”

Given your hard work and versatility, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the necessity for a sharper vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the input to heart and revamped the title with a revitalized vision - one that’s poised to achieve its potential to our fans.

Our confidence in this project increases every day. To boost the remarkable development you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the new Studio Head of 31st Union. Following a period of discussions, Ben starts with us on next week.

Ben’s leadership and background in the PVP shooter space is vast, having dedicated the past decade and a half developing and managing some of the most popular titles in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in greeting Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to persist seeing the evolution of the game in the months to follow.

David

Background of the New Leader

The appointee presently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously was employed at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Concept

Project Ethos was revealed in last year alongside a public demo. Then, the developers presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary explains. "Face the rivals with unique powers, risks, and challenges that shift every round. Will you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Alternatively aim high, put it on the line, and pray your group can achieve the highest spot? The option is yours."

The game does not have an official release date or consoles, but fans can look forward to further news as creation progresses.