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

Management Change Comes After Mixed Feedback

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified employees about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a more defined vision.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now overhauling the project with a renewed focus, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions

The news follows a comparable step taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the complete message from Ismailer's memo:

Dear Team—

I know you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a message, I stated the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and talented creators we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to endure.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, especially over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game playtest was enlightening. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but made clear we still had work to do. It highlighted the requirement for a more distinct vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the criticism to mind and reimagined the title with a revitalized vision - one that’s ready to deliver on its ambition to our players.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS increases every day. To advance the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce the new hire as the new Lead of the team. After several months of talks, he officially joins us on next week.

Ben’s leadership and experience in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having spent the last 15 years producing and leading some of the most recognizable franchises in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in welcoming Ben next week. We are all excited to keep seeing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.

David

Background of the New Head

Brinkman presently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously worked at major gaming companies in various development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year together with a community playtest. Initially, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling 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 fit your unique tactics," the description states. "Take on the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and tests that shift every match. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and pray your team can achieve the highest spot? The option is yours."

The game lacks an confirmed launch window or supported systems, but fans can look forward to more updates as development continues.