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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Change Follows Mixed Feedback

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed team members about this decision through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the need for a more defined vision.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Hires

This announcement echoes a similar move taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the full content from the president's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just finished your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and innovative creators we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that relationship to persist.”

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 enlightening. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had work to do. It highlighted the necessity for a clearer vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the feedback to consideration and reimagined the title with a refreshed direction - one that’s ready to achieve its promise to our fans.

The belief in this project strengthens every day. To advance the remarkable progress you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. After several months of talks, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming field is vast, having dedicated the past decade and a half developing and overseeing some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in receiving him next week. We are all looking forward to continue seeing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to come.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman currently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 alongside a public demo. Then, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative evolution on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the description states. "Challenge the competition with new abilities, stakes, and tests that evolve every round. Will you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and trust your team can achieve the highest spot? The choice is in your hands."

Project Ethos lacks an official debut schedule or platforms, but enthusiasts can look forward to additional details as production continues.