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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 developing the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Follows Mixed Feedback

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified team members about this decision through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a more defined direction.

Ismailer noted that the team is now refining the project with a refreshed focus, aiming to better meet community desires.

Trend of Key Recruitment

This announcement echoes a comparable move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the complete content 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 positive developments. Last time I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative developers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to endure.”

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

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game playtest was informative. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the requirement for a more distinct identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the criticism to mind and overhauled the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s positioned to deliver on its promise to our players.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To boost the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the new Lead of 31st Union. Following some time of discussions, he comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s leadership and experience in the PVP shooter genre is extensive, having dedicated the past decade and a half producing and leading some of the most popular franchises in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in greeting him soon. We are all looking forward to continue observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to come.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee currently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 alongside a public demo. Then, the developers presented the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting advancement 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 game's pitch explains. "Face the rivals with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that shift every match. Do you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, put it on the line, and trust your team can secure victory? The choice is yours."

The game lacks an confirmed debut schedule or consoles, but players can look forward to additional details as development advances.