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2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Transition Follows Mixed Feedback

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed employees about this decision through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the need for a distinct vision.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now overhauling the project with a revised focus, aiming to address community desires.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

The news follows a comparable move taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock development group.

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

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just wrapped up your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative designers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to endure.”

Given your hard work and versatility, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the need for a more distinct identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the feedback to consideration and revamped the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s positioned to fulfill its potential to our audience.

The trust in this project increases every day. To boost the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the incoming Studio Head of the team. After a period of discussions, Ben comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s guidance and experience in the PVP shooter field is vast, having dedicated the recent years producing and managing some of the most popular series in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in receiving Ben soon. We are all excited to keep observing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.

David

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman presently holds the position of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously was employed at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. At the time, the developers described the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling 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 description states. "Face the competition with new abilities, challenges, and tests that shift every round. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or go big, gamble everything, and hope your group can earn top ranking? The option is yours."

The game does not have an announced debut schedule or consoles, but fans can expect additional details as development continues.