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2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Comes After Lukewarm Reception

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure informed staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a clearer direction.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a refreshed focus, aiming to address gamer demands.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

The news follows a comparable move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the complete content from the president's communication:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just finished your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative designers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re excited for that relationship to continue.”

With your dedication and adaptability, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last fall’s the game testing phase was informative. It validated the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It highlighted the requirement for a clearer vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the input to heart and reimagined the title with a renewed goal - one that’s poised to fulfill its ambition to our audience.

The trust in this project strengthens every day. To further the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the incoming Studio Head of the team. After a period of discussions, he comes aboard us on next week.

Ben’s management and experience in the competitive gaming space is vast, having spent the recent years developing and overseeing some of the most popular franchises in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in receiving him soon. We are all looking forward to keep witnessing the development of the game in the weeks to ahead.

David

Experience of the New Leader

Brinkman currently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year in conjunction with a public demo. At the time, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting step forward on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary states. "Face the opponents with fresh skills, risks, and tests that shift every round. Will you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, risk it all, and pray your squad can secure victory? The option is up to you."

The game does not have an official debut schedule or consoles, but fans can anticipate further news as production progresses.