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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Comes After Mixed Response

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last fall.

Recently, 2K president a key figure notified employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the need for a clearer game identity.

The president stated that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to address player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Hires

The news echoes a similar move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock development group.

Below is the full text from the president's memo:

Team—

I know you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re eager for that partnership to persist.”

With your dedication and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last fall’s the game demo was enlightening. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had work to do. It highlighted the requirement for a clearer brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the input to heart and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s ready to fulfill its ambition to our players.

The trust in this project grows every day. To advance the remarkable development you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of the team. After several months of discussions, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and experience in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having spent the past decade and a half developing and managing some of the most well-known series in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in welcoming him in the coming days. We are all excited to continue witnessing the evolution of the game in the months to come.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Leader

The appointee currently holds the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. At the time, the developers described the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative advancement on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch explains. "Face the competition with new abilities, stakes, and obstacles that evolve every match. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and pray your squad can earn top ranking? The option is up to you."

Project Ethos lacks an announced release date or platforms, but fans can look forward to additional details as creation continues.