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2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Transition Follows Mixed Reception

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing initial reveal last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed team members about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a more defined game identity.

The president expressed that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

The news echoes a comparable action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the full text from Ismailer's announcement:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and creative designers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that partnership to continue.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the requirement for a clearer vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the criticism to heart and reimagined the title with a revitalized direction - one that’s positioned to achieve its ambition to our players.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To further the remarkable progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome the new hire as the new Director of the team. Following a period of discussions, he comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s guidance and background in the competitive gaming space is considerable, having devoted the past decade and a half creating and leading some of the most recognizable titles in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben soon. We are all excited to keep observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to ahead.

The President

Experience of the New Head

The appointee currently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year alongside a community playtest. Then, 31st Union described the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary states. "Challenge the opponents with unique powers, stakes, and obstacles that shift every session. Will you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and trust your squad can secure victory? The option is yours."

The game lacks an confirmed launch window or supported systems, but enthusiasts can look forward to more updates as production progresses.