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2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Follows Poor Reception

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed employees about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a distinct game identity.

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

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

The news echoes a similar move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire text from the president's announcement:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your gathering - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented designers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re excited for that relationship to continue.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the need for a sharper brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the feedback to heart and overhauled the title with a renewed direction - one that’s ready to deliver on its promise to our fans.

The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To boost the incredible advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce the new hire as the new Lead of the team. Following some time of conversations, he officially joins us on the specified date.

His management and expertise in the competitive gaming space is vast, having devoted the last 15 years producing and managing some of the most recognizable titles in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in receiving him soon. We are all looking forward to persist witnessing the progress of the game in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Background of the Incoming Head

The appointee presently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Concept

Project Ethos was revealed in last year alongside a public demo. Then, 31st Union described the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting evolution on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch states. "Take on the rivals with new abilities, risks, and challenges that evolve every round. Do you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and pray your team can achieve the highest spot? The option is in your hands."

Project Ethos has not yet received an confirmed release date or consoles, but players can look forward to further news as production advances.