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2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Comes After Mixed Feedback

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed staff about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a more defined vision.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

Trend of Key Recruitment

The news mirrors a comparable step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the BioShock development group.

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

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a update, I expressed 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 work with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to endure.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game demo was informative. It affirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It revealed the necessity for a sharper brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the criticism to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s ready to deliver on its promise to our players.

Our confidence in this project increases every day. To boost the remarkable development you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of 31st Union. After some time of conversations, Ben comes aboard us on next week.

Ben’s guidance and expertise in the competitive gaming field is considerable, having devoted the last 15 years creating and managing some of the most popular franchises in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to persist observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to come.

David

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman presently serves in the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in last year together with a community playtest. At the time, the developers portrayed the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the description reads. "Face the opponents with unique powers, stakes, and challenges that change every match. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or take a risk, put it on the line, and hope your team can achieve the highest spot? The decision is in your hands."

Project Ethos has not yet received an announced launch window or consoles, but players can expect more updates as production advances.