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2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Comes After Poor Reception

Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at the development studio following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed team members about this strategic move through an internal memo, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had indicated the requirement for a distinct direction.

The president noted that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to address community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement mirrors a similar action taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock development group.

Here is the complete message from Ismailer's memo:

Team—

I know you all just completed your town hall - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative creators we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to continue.”

With your dedication and versatility, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The player input from last fall’s the game demo was enlightening. It confirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the requirement for a sharper brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the criticism to heart and revamped the title with a refreshed direction - one that’s poised to achieve its ambition to our players.

The belief in Project ETHOS grows every day. To boost the remarkable progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce the new hire as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. After several months of discussions, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter space is extensive, having devoted the past decade and a half producing and managing some of the most popular titles in gaming, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in receiving him in the coming days. We are all excited to continue seeing the progress of the game in the months to ahead.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee presently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. At the time, the developers described the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting advancement on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary explains. "Challenge the competition with new abilities, stakes, and obstacles that evolve every round. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Or aim high, risk it all, and hope your squad can achieve the highest spot? The choice is yours."

The game has not yet received an official debut schedule or consoles, but players can anticipate further news as creation continues.