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2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Change Comes After Lukewarm Reception

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming initial reveal last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure updated employees about this decision through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a distinct game identity.

The president expressed that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to address player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions

The news mirrors a similar move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the entire message from Ismailer's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just completed your gathering - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented designers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to persist.”

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

The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It confirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had refinements needed. It revealed the requirement for a clearer brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the criticism to mind and revamped Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s poised to achieve its ambition to our fans.

The belief in this project increases every day. To further the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce the new hire as the latest Director of the team. After a period of talks, Ben comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and experience in the competitive gaming space is extensive, having spent the past decade and a half developing and leading some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in receiving him soon. We are all eager to keep seeing the development of the game in the months to ahead.

David

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman currently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in last year alongside a early access event. Initially, the developers described the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting advancement on the style."

"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 explains. "Challenge the opponents with unique powers, challenges, and challenges that change every match. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and trust your group can secure victory? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos has not yet received an confirmed launch window or consoles, but players can look forward to additional details as production advances.