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2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Change Comes After Lukewarm Reception

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster unveiling last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure informed staff about this decision through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had indicated the necessity for a clearer direction.

The president expressed that the team is now reimagining the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to better meet community desires.

Trend of Key Recruitment

This announcement echoes a comparable step taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the complete content from Ismailer's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and talented designers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to endure.”

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

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but made clear we still had refinements needed. It revealed the need for a more distinct brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the feedback to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s ready to deliver on its potential to our players.

The belief in this project grows every day. To advance the incredible advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Lead of the team. Following some time of conversations, he starts with us on next week.

His management and background in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having dedicated the recent years creating and overseeing some of the most recognizable series in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in greeting him soon. We are all eager to continue observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.

The President

Background of the New Leader

The appointee presently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in last year in conjunction with a early access event. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling advancement on the category."

"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 description states. "Challenge the rivals with fresh skills, risks, and obstacles that evolve every match. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and pray your group can secure victory? The option is in your hands."

The game lacks an confirmed launch window or consoles, but players can expect more updates as production advances.