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2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Comes After Poor Response

Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at the development studio following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer informed staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a more defined game identity.

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

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

The news mirrors a comparable move taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the full message from the president's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just finished your meeting - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a update, I expressed the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented designers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to endure.”

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

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It validated the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the necessity for a clearer brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the input to heart and reimagined the title with a refreshed direction - one that’s ready to fulfill its promise to our fans.

The trust in this project increases every day. To further the incredible development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of 31st Union. Following some time of conversations, he officially joins us on the specified date.

Ben’s leadership and experience in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having devoted the recent years creating and managing some of the most well-known titles in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in welcoming Ben next week. We are all eager to continue seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to come.

David

Experience of the New Head

The appointee currently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in last year together with a public demo. Then, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the official summary reads. "Face the competition with fresh skills, challenges, and obstacles that change every session. Do you leave securely with your collected items? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and hope your squad can secure victory? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos has not yet received an official launch window or platforms, but fans can look forward to more updates as development continues.