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2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Follows Mixed Feedback

Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer informed employees about this decision through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had shown the requirement for a clearer game identity.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now overhauling the project with a renewed approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

The news follows a similar action taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

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

Dear Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and creative developers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to persist.”

With your dedication and versatility, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game playtest was revealing. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the need for a clearer identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the criticism to heart and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s ready to fulfill its potential to our audience.

The belief in this project grows every day. To advance the incredible advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the latest Director of 31st Union. Following a period of conversations, he officially joins us on the specified date.

Ben’s leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is extensive, having spent the recent years creating and leading some of the most popular franchises in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in greeting him soon. We are all eager to keep seeing the evolution of the game in the months to ahead.

The President

Background of the New Leader

The appointee presently holds the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 together with a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union described the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch reads. "Face the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and tests that evolve every session. Will you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and trust your squad can achieve the highest spot? The decision is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an confirmed debut schedule or supported systems, but fans can look forward to more updates as creation advances.