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2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Change Follows Mixed Reception

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure notified staff about this decision through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the requirement for a distinct direction.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now reimagining the project with a revised focus, aiming to satisfy community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions

The news echoes a similar move taken by the publisher in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the full message from Ismailer's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just completed your meeting - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative developers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to continue.”

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

The community feedback from last fall’s the game testing phase was informative. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had work to do. It highlighted the requirement for a more distinct identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You took the feedback to heart and reimagined the title with a revitalized goal - one that’s ready to fulfill its promise to our players.

Our confidence in this project grows every day. To boost the incredible development you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Lead of the team. After some time of conversations, Ben starts with us on next week.

His management and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having spent the last 15 years creating and managing some of the most popular titles in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in greeting Ben soon. We are all eager to keep witnessing the progress of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Leader

The appointee presently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the description explains. "Take on the opponents with fresh skills, risks, and tests that shift every match. Will you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Or go big, put it on the line, and pray your squad can achieve the highest spot? The decision is in your hands."

Project Ethos lacks an announced debut schedule or supported systems, but players can anticipate further news as production continues.