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2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Follows Lukewarm Reception

Brinkman assumes 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' underwhelming initial reveal last fall.

Recently, 2K president a key figure informed employees about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a clearer direction.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now overhauling the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

This announcement echoes a comparable step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the BioShock development group.

Here is the complete message from the president's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and creative creators we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re eager for that partnership to persist.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but made clear we still had refinements needed. It revealed the requirement for a more distinct vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the input to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s ready to fulfill its potential to our fans.

The trust in this project grows every day. To boost the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce the new hire as the incoming Studio Head of the team. Following some time of talks, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and background in the PVP shooter genre is extensive, having devoted the recent years creating and managing some of the most popular titles in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in greeting him in the coming days. We are all excited to continue observing the evolution of the game in the weeks to come.

The President

Experience of the New Head

The appointee currently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously worked at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in last year alongside a community playtest. Initially, the developers presented the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative step forward on the style."

"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 description explains. "Take on the competition with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that shift every round. Will you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Or go big, risk it all, and hope your team can secure victory? The choice is up to you."

Project Ethos does not have an official debut schedule or platforms, but players can look forward to additional details as creation progresses.