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2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Follows Poor Reception

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified team members about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had indicated the necessity for a more defined game identity.

The president noted that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to better meet community desires.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement echoes a comparable move taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the BioShock development group.

Below is the entire content from the president's announcement:

Dear Team—

I know you all just completed your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Previously I shared you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative developers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re eager for that relationship to continue.”

Through your commitment and versatility, especially over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It revealed the requirement for a clearer vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the criticism to heart and reimagined Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s poised to fulfill its promise to our audience.

The belief in this project strengthens every day. To further the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Studio Head of the team. Following a period of discussions, he officially joins us on next week.

His management and experience in the PVP shooter space is vast, having spent the past decade and a half creating and leading some of the most popular series in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in welcoming Ben next week. We are all eager to persist witnessing the progress of the game in the time to ahead.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman currently holds the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 together with a community playtest. Then, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the description states. "Take on the opponents with new abilities, stakes, and tests that change every match. Will you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Or go big, put it on the line, and trust your team can achieve the highest spot? The decision is yours."

Project Ethos does not have an announced launch window or consoles, but players can expect further news as creation advances.