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2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Follows Poor Feedback

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed team members about this strategic move through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the need for a clearer vision.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now reimagining the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to address community desires.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

This announcement follows a similar action taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the complete content from Ismailer's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to persist.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It affirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the need for a more distinct brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the feedback to mind and reimagined Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s positioned to fulfill its potential to our fans.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the outstanding development you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of 31st Union. After a period of talks, Ben comes aboard us on the specified date.

His leadership and experience in the competitive gaming space is considerable, having spent the recent years producing and overseeing some of the most recognizable series in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in receiving Ben next week. We are all excited to keep witnessing the progress of the game in the months to ahead.

David

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee currently holds the position of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously was employed at major gaming companies in various production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in last year together with a community playtest. Then, the developers presented the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative advancement 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 match your preferred approach," the official summary explains. "Challenge the rivals with fresh skills, risks, and tests that shift every match. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Or take a risk, risk it all, and trust your squad can earn top ranking? The option is up to you."

Project Ethos lacks an official debut schedule or platforms, but enthusiasts can expect additional details as production continues.