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The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Follows Poor Feedback

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer informed staff about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the requirement for a distinct vision.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to address gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

The news echoes a comparable action taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the entire content from Ismailer's memo:

Team—

I know you all just completed your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and innovative designers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to continue.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was revealing. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It revealed the need for a more distinct brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the input to consideration and revamped the title with a revitalized direction - one that’s positioned to deliver on its promise to our players.

The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the outstanding development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce the new hire as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. Following a period of talks, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.

His management and experience in the competitive gaming field is vast, having devoted the past decade and a half developing and managing some of the most well-known series in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in welcoming Ben next week. We are all excited to keep seeing the development of the game in the months to follow.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee presently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 alongside a early access event. Then, the developers portrayed the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary reads. "Challenge the opponents with new abilities, risks, and challenges that shift every round. Do you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Or go big, risk it all, and hope your team can secure victory? The choice is in your hands."

The game does not have an official launch window or consoles, but players can expect more updates as creation advances.