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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Follows Mixed Reception

The new appointee steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last fall.

Recently, 2K president David Ismailer notified employees about this strategic move through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the need for a clearer vision.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now refining the project with a refreshed vision, aiming to address player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement follows a comparable step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire content from Ismailer's communication:

Team—

I know you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and innovative creators we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to endure.”

With your dedication and versatility, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the necessity for a more distinct identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the criticism to heart and overhauled Project ETHOS with a refreshed vision - one that’s ready to deliver on its ambition to our fans.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To boost the incredible progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Studio Head of the team. After some time of discussions, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and experience in the PVP shooter space is vast, having spent the past decade and a half developing and managing some of the most well-known titles in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to keep seeing the progress of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.

The President

Background of the New Leader

Brinkman presently holds the position of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 together with a early access event. At the time, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the official summary reads. "Face the opponents with fresh skills, risks, and tests that evolve every match. Will you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Or take a risk, risk it all, and hope your group can earn top ranking? The choice is up to you."

The game does not have an official debut schedule or consoles, but fans can expect additional details as creation progresses.