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The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Follows Lukewarm Feedback

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer notified staff about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the need for a more defined vision.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed approach, aiming to address gamer demands.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement mirrors a comparable move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the full content from the president's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative developers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that relationship to persist.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had improvements to make. It revealed the need for a clearer brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the feedback to mind and revamped the title with a renewed vision - one that’s poised to deliver on its ambition to our audience.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To boost the remarkable development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of 31st Union. After several months of conversations, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and experience in the competitive gaming field is vast, having dedicated the last 15 years producing and leading some of the most well-known series in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in greeting him in the coming days. We are all eager to keep seeing the progress of the game in the time to follow.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee currently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 together with a community playtest. Initially, the developers described the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting advancement on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary states. "Challenge the competition with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that evolve every round. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, put it on the line, and trust your group can secure victory? The option is yours."

Project Ethos does not have an confirmed debut schedule or supported systems, but fans can anticipate additional details as development advances.