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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Change Comes After Poor Response

The new appointee steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing early showing last fall.

Recently, 2K president David Ismailer updated staff about this decision through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a clearer game identity.

The president stated that the developers is now refining the project with a revised approach, aiming to address gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

The news follows a comparable step taken by the publisher in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire text from the president's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented designers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re eager for that partnership to persist.”

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

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had work to do. It uncovered the necessity for a sharper vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the input to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s poised to deliver on its potential to our players.

Our confidence in this project increases every day. To boost the outstanding advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the incoming Director of 31st Union. Following several months of talks, he officially joins us on next week.

His guidance and background in the competitive gaming field is extensive, having devoted the recent years developing and managing some of the most recognizable franchises in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in greeting Ben next week. We are all eager to continue seeing the development of the game in the weeks to ahead.

David

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman currently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He previously worked at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in last year together with a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary explains. "Take on the rivals with new abilities, stakes, and challenges that change every round. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, put it on the line, and hope your squad can secure victory? The decision is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an confirmed launch window or platforms, but fans can expect additional details as creation continues.