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

Management Shift Comes After Poor Response

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union 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 fall.

Recently, 2K president David Ismailer informed team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the need for a distinct game identity.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now refining the project with a renewed focus, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

The news mirrors a comparable step taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the full message from the president's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just completed your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and talented designers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to endure.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last fall’s the game demo was enlightening. It validated the appeal of a action-packed game but made clear we still had work to do. It highlighted the necessity for a sharper vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the input to consideration and reimagined the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s positioned to achieve its promise to our fans.

Our confidence in this project increases every day. To boost the outstanding development you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of the team. After several months of conversations, he starts with us on next week.

Ben’s leadership and experience in the PVP shooter field is vast, having spent the recent years producing and leading some of the most well-known series in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in greeting him in the coming days. We are all excited to persist seeing the progress of the game in the time to come.

The President

Experience of the New Leader

Brinkman presently holds the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at major gaming companies in various development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year together with a public demo. Then, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative evolution on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch states. "Challenge the competition with new abilities, stakes, and tests that change every match. Do you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and trust your team can secure victory? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos has not yet received an announced launch window or consoles, but players can look forward to additional details as production advances.