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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 upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Follows Lukewarm Response

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming early showing last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified employees about this decision through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the need for a clearer game identity.

Ismailer stated that the team is now reimagining the project with a revised vision, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

The news follows a comparable step taken by the publisher in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the entire content from Ismailer's communication:

Dear Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and talented developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to continue.”

Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was revealing. It affirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a more distinct brand.

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

The trust in this project strengthens every day. To boost the remarkable development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce the new hire as the latest Lead of the team. After several months of talks, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His management and expertise in the competitive gaming space is extensive, having devoted the last 15 years creating and managing some of the most well-known franchises in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in welcoming Ben soon. We are all looking forward to continue observing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.

The President

Background of the New Head

The appointee currently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. Initially, the developers presented the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch explains. "Face the competition with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that change every session. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, put it on the line, and pray your squad can earn top ranking? The choice is up to you."

Project Ethos has not yet received an confirmed launch window or platforms, but players can anticipate more updates as development progresses.