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The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Change Comes After Mixed Reception

The new appointee 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 early showing last fall.

Recently, 2K president a key figure notified team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a distinct vision.

The president stated that the developers is now refining the project with a renewed focus, aiming to address player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

This announcement follows a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

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

Dear Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your gathering - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative creators we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to continue.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last autumn’s the game demo was enlightening. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It revealed the need for a clearer identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the criticism to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized vision - one that’s ready to fulfill its potential to our players.

The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the incredible advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of 31st Union. After some time of conversations, he starts with us on the specified date.

Ben’s leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is extensive, having dedicated the recent years producing and overseeing some of the most well-known series in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in receiving him soon. We are all excited to persist witnessing the progress of the game in the weeks to come.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman currently holds the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously worked at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in last year alongside a community playtest. At the time, the developers described the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary states. "Face the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and obstacles that evolve every match. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively aim high, put it on the line, and hope your team can secure victory? The option is up to you."

Project Ethos lacks an official launch window or supported systems, but players can expect additional details as production advances.