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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Change Follows Mixed Feedback

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.

Recently, 2K president David Ismailer informed team members about this decision through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the need for a clearer vision.

The president noted that the developers is now reimagining the project with a revised focus, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

Trend of Key Hires

The news echoes a similar move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

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

Dear Team—

I know you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative designers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to persist.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game demo was enlightening. It confirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the need for a sharper brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You took the feedback to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a refreshed vision - one that’s positioned to deliver on its potential to our audience.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the remarkable progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of the team. After a period of discussions, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s management and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having spent the recent years producing and leading some of the most popular titles in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in receiving him soon. We are all excited to keep witnessing the development of the game in the weeks to ahead.

David

Experience of the Incoming Leader

The appointee currently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously worked at major gaming companies in various production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 alongside a early access event. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling evolution on the genre."

"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 game's pitch states. "Face the competition with unique powers, challenges, and challenges that evolve every session. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, risk it all, and hope your group can secure victory? The choice is in your hands."

Project Ethos has not yet received an official release date or consoles, but fans can expect further news as development advances.