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2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the forthcoming third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Comes After Poor Reception

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed staff about this decision through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a more defined vision.

The president expressed that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

Trend of Strategic Hires

This announcement mirrors a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the full text from Ismailer's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a update, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and innovative developers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to persist.”

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

The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a more distinct vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the feedback to consideration and revamped the title with a renewed vision - one that’s poised to fulfill its promise to our players.

The belief in this project increases every day. To further the outstanding development you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the latest Lead of the team. Following some time of discussions, Ben starts with us on the specified date.

His guidance and expertise in the competitive gaming field is extensive, having dedicated the last 15 years developing and managing some of the most well-known series in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in greeting Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to keep observing the development of the game in the weeks to follow.

The President

Background of the New Leader

Brinkman presently holds the position of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in various development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 together with a public demo. Then, the developers portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the official summary reads. "Challenge the rivals with unique powers, stakes, and obstacles that change every match. Will you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Or go big, gamble everything, and hope your group can secure victory? The decision is in your hands."

Project Ethos does not have an official launch window or consoles, but players can anticipate additional details as production progresses.