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2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Comes After Mixed Response

Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at the development studio following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer notified employees about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the need for a clearer game identity.

Ismailer stated that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement follows a similar step taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the complete message from Ismailer's announcement:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to persist.”

With your dedication and versatility, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a more distinct brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the criticism to heart and overhauled the title with a revitalized direction - one that’s ready to achieve its ambition to our fans.

The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To advance the remarkable progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the latest Lead of 31st Union. After a period of discussions, he officially joins us on next week.

His management and background in the competitive gaming genre is considerable, having dedicated the last 15 years creating and leading some of the most recognizable series in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in receiving him in the coming days. We are all eager to continue witnessing the evolution of the game in the time to come.

The President

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee presently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously was employed at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year alongside a public demo. Initially, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative step forward on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch states. "Face the opponents with unique powers, risks, and tests that change every session. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively aim high, gamble everything, and pray your team can secure victory? The option is yours."

Project Ethos has not yet received an official debut schedule or platforms, but players can anticipate more updates as creation continues.