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2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Follows Poor Feedback

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a more defined direction.

The president expressed that the team is now overhauling the project with a revised focus, aiming to address community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions

This announcement mirrors a comparable move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the entire message from Ismailer's communication:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented developers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to continue.”

Through your commitment and versatility, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The player input from last autumn’s the game playtest was revealing. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had work to do. It revealed the need for a sharper vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the feedback to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a refreshed direction - one that’s positioned to fulfill its ambition to our audience.

The trust in this project grows every day. To boost the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. After a period of talks, Ben comes aboard us on the specified date.

Ben’s management and experience in the PVP shooter genre is extensive, having devoted the last 15 years creating and leading some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in greeting him soon. We are all eager to persist observing the progress of Project ETHOS in the weeks to ahead.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman currently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. Then, the developers portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, 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! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary reads. "Challenge the rivals with unique powers, stakes, and obstacles that evolve every round. Will 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 yours."

Project Ethos lacks an confirmed debut schedule or supported systems, but fans can anticipate more updates as development continues.