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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Follows Mixed Response

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last fall.

Recently, 2K president a key figure updated staff about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had indicated the necessity for a clearer vision.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed focus, aiming to better meet community desires.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

This announcement mirrors a comparable step taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the full message from the president's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just wrapped up your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and creative designers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that partnership to persist.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It validated the promise of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It revealed the requirement for a clearer vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the criticism to mind and overhauled the title with a renewed direction - one that’s poised to deliver on its ambition to our fans.

The trust in this project increases every day. To advance the incredible development you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the latest Studio Head of the team. Following some time of talks, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming field is considerable, having dedicated the recent years creating and leading some of the most popular titles in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in receiving Ben soon. We are all looking forward to continue observing the evolution of the game in the weeks to come.

The President

Background of the New Leader

Brinkman presently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in last year in conjunction with a public demo. At the time, the developers described the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch states. "Take on the opponents with fresh skills, stakes, and tests that change every session. Do you leave securely with your collected items? Or aim high, gamble everything, and hope your squad can secure victory? The option is in your hands."

The game has not yet received an official release date or consoles, but players can expect more updates as development progresses.