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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Follows Lukewarm Feedback

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer notified employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had indicated the necessity for a more defined vision.

Ismailer stated that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement mirrors a similar move taken by the publisher in August, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

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

Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and creative designers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re excited for that relationship to persist.”

With your dedication and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It validated the potential of a action-packed game but made clear we still had refinements needed. It revealed the necessity for a more distinct brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the feedback to consideration and overhauled the title with a revitalized vision - one that’s poised to fulfill its potential to our audience.

The trust in this project grows every day. To boost the outstanding advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome the new hire as the latest Director of the team. After several months of conversations, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s guidance and experience in the competitive gaming space is considerable, having dedicated the recent years producing and leading some of the most well-known series in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben soon. We are all looking forward to continue seeing the progress of the game in the weeks to come.

David

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman currently serves in the role of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously worked at major gaming companies in various development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in last year in conjunction with a public demo. Initially, the developers presented the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling evolution on the style."

"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 game's pitch states. "Face the rivals with fresh skills, stakes, and challenges that shift every session. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or take a risk, risk it all, and trust your group can earn top ranking? The option is yours."

The game does not have an announced launch window or platforms, but players can anticipate more updates as production continues.