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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Transition Follows Poor Reception

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 early showing last autumn.

Recently, 2K president a key figure notified team members about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the need for a distinct game identity.

Ismailer stated that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

The news follows a comparable move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the full text from the president's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just completed your town hall - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a note, I stated the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to persist.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last fall’s the game demo was revealing. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the requirement for a sharper identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the feedback to mind and revamped the title with a revitalized direction - one that’s poised to fulfill its promise to our audience.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To boost the incredible progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Lead of the team. After several months of talks, Ben starts with us on next week.

His leadership and experience in the PVP shooter field is considerable, having dedicated the last 15 years producing and leading some of the most recognizable titles in gaming, for example the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in greeting Ben soon. We are all excited to keep witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Leader

The appointee presently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Concept

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. Then, 31st Union described the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting advancement on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch explains. "Take on the competition with new abilities, stakes, and challenges that change every match. Do you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, gamble everything, and trust your squad can secure victory? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos has not yet received an confirmed debut schedule or consoles, but fans can anticipate more updates as development progresses.