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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Comes After Lukewarm Reception

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at the development studio following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing early showing last autumn.

Recently, 2K president a key figure informed employees about this decision through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a distinct direction.

Ismailer stated that the team is now overhauling the project with a revised approach, aiming to address player expectations.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

This announcement follows a similar move taken by the publisher in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire text from Ismailer's announcement:

Dear Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your gathering - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a update, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and talented designers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re excited for that relationship to continue.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The player input from last autumn’s the game demo was revealing. It confirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but indicated we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the requirement for a sharper identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the criticism to consideration and revamped the title with a revitalized vision - one that’s positioned to deliver on its potential to our players.

Our confidence in this project grows every day. To further the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the new Studio Head of the team. Following several months of conversations, Ben starts with us on next week.

His guidance and experience in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having spent the past decade and a half creating and overseeing some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.

Please join me in greeting him in the coming days. We are all eager to keep observing the progress of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman presently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in last year in conjunction with a public demo. Then, the developers presented the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting step forward on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch states. "Take on the rivals with new abilities, risks, and challenges that shift every session. Do you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and trust your group can earn top ranking? The decision is yours."

The game does not have an announced debut schedule or platforms, but players can anticipate more updates as development progresses.