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2K Games has secured a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Follows Lukewarm Feedback

Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed staff about this strategic move through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the requirement for a more defined direction.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now refining the project with a renewed approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

The news mirrors a comparable step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the full content from Ismailer's communication:

Dear Team—

I know you all just finished your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and creative creators we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re eager for that partnership to continue.”

With your dedication and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last fall’s the game testing phase was informative. It confirmed the promise of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It revealed the necessity for a clearer brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the feedback to mind and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s ready to deliver on its promise to our fans.

The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To boost the incredible development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Director of 31st Union. Following some time of talks, he officially joins us on the specified date.

His management and experience in the competitive gaming genre is considerable, having devoted the recent years producing and managing some of the most recognizable franchises in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

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

David

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman currently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in various production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in last year alongside a community playtest. Initially, the developers portrayed the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the official summary states. "Take on the rivals with fresh skills, risks, and obstacles that shift every round. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or aim high, gamble everything, and hope your team can secure victory? The decision is yours."

The game has not yet received an announced debut schedule or consoles, but players can expect additional details as production advances.