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2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Follows Mixed Feedback

The new appointee steps into the role of studio head at the development studio following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster unveiling last autumn.

Recently, 2K president a key figure notified staff about this decision through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a clearer game identity.

The president stated that the team is now reimagining the project with a renewed approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Strategic Acquisitions

This announcement echoes a comparable action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the BioShock development group.

Below is the complete message from the president's communication:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just completed your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a message, I stated the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative creators we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to endure.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It confirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but made clear we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the need for a more distinct vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the input to mind and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s ready to fulfill its promise to our audience.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To advance the incredible progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the latest Lead of the team. Following several months of talks, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and experience in the competitive gaming field is vast, having dedicated the past decade and a half creating and overseeing some of the most well-known series in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in greeting him next week. We are all eager to continue seeing the evolution of the game in the time to come.

David

Experience of the New Leader

Brinkman presently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Concept

Project Ethos was revealed in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union described the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling evolution on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary reads. "Challenge the opponents with fresh skills, challenges, and obstacles that evolve every match. Will you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, risk it all, and hope your team can earn top ranking? The decision is up to you."

The game has not yet received an announced launch window or consoles, but fans can anticipate more updates as production advances.