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2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Comes After Mixed Reception

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at the development studio following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed team members about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had indicated the necessity for a distinct game identity.

The president stated that the developers is now overhauling the project with a revised vision, aiming to address community desires.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

This announcement mirrors a comparable step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire text from the president's memo:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Previously I shared you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to persist.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It confirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had work to do. It highlighted the need for a clearer brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the criticism to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a revitalized direction - one that’s ready to deliver on its ambition to our audience.

The belief in this project strengthens every day. To boost the outstanding progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. Following several months of talks, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.

Ben’s leadership and experience in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having spent the recent years developing and managing some of the most popular titles in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in receiving Ben next week. We are all excited to keep witnessing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman presently serves in the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had periods at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Concept

Project Ethos was revealed in last year together with a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective 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 suit your personal playstyle," the description explains. "Challenge the opponents with fresh skills, risks, and obstacles that evolve every match. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, risk it all, and hope your squad can secure victory? The option is yours."

The game has not yet received an official debut schedule or supported systems, but enthusiasts can anticipate more updates as development progresses.