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2K Games has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Comes After Mixed Feedback

The new appointee steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed employees about this decision through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the necessity for a clearer direction.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now overhauling the project with a renewed approach, aiming to better meet community desires.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

This announcement echoes a comparable move taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the full message from Ismailer's memo:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a update, I stated the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and creative creators we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to endure.”

Through your commitment and versatility, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last fall’s the game playtest was enlightening. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the need for a clearer brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the criticism to heart and overhauled the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s poised to deliver on its ambition to our audience.

The belief in this project increases every day. To boost the outstanding progress you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the latest Studio Head of the team. Following some time of conversations, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s management and experience in the PVP shooter field is extensive, having dedicated the past decade and a half creating and managing some of the most well-known titles in gaming, for example the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in receiving him in the coming days. We are all eager to persist observing the progress of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.

The President

Background of the New Head

The appointee presently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in various development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. At the time, the developers presented the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the official summary reads. "Take on the competition with unique powers, risks, and obstacles that shift every session. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, gamble everything, and pray your squad can earn top ranking? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an confirmed release date or supported systems, but fans can look forward to more updates as production continues.