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2K Games has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Comes After Lukewarm Reception

Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the requirement for a clearer direction.

Ismailer noted that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to address community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

The news echoes a comparable move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the complete text from Ismailer's memo:

Team—

I understand you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and creative developers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to persist.”

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

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the need for a more distinct identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the input to mind and revamped Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s positioned to achieve its ambition to our players.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To advance the remarkable progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Director of 31st Union. Following some time of conversations, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and experience in the competitive gaming genre is extensive, having dedicated the past decade and a half developing and managing some of the most well-known franchises in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to keep observing the evolution of the game in the months to ahead.

The President

Background of the New Leader

Brinkman presently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in various production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in last year alongside a community playtest. Initially, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling advancement on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch reads. "Take on the opponents with fresh skills, risks, and challenges that evolve every match. Do you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, gamble everything, and pray your group can secure victory? The option is in your hands."

The game has not yet received an official launch window or consoles, but players can expect more updates as creation progresses.