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2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Transition Comes After Lukewarm Response

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming initial reveal last fall.

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

The president noted that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions

This announcement follows a similar action taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire content from Ismailer's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident 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 looking forward for that collaboration to endure.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game playtest was informative. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It revealed the requirement for a more distinct brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the feedback to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s positioned to deliver on its potential to our fans.

The belief in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To further the remarkable progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the new Director of the team. After a period of discussions, Ben starts with us on the specified date.

Ben’s guidance and background in the PVP shooter field is vast, having dedicated the last 15 years creating and managing some of the most popular franchises in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in receiving Ben next week. We are all looking forward to persist observing the development of the game in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman presently holds the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a early access event. Then, the developers portrayed the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative advancement on the style."

"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 description explains. "Take on the rivals with unique powers, risks, and obstacles that shift every match. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, put it on the line, and hope your group can earn top ranking? The option is in your hands."

The game has not yet received an confirmed launch window or platforms, but enthusiasts can expect further news as production continues.