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2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Comes After Mixed Feedback

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster unveiling last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified team members about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a more defined direction.

The president stated that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to address player expectations.

Trend of Key Recruitment

This announcement follows a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire message from Ismailer's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Previously I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented designers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to persist.”

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

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the need for a sharper identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the input to consideration and overhauled the title with a revitalized goal - one that’s poised to deliver on its ambition to our players.

Our confidence in this project grows every day. To advance the remarkable progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. After some time of talks, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and experience in the competitive gaming space is extensive, having dedicated the last 15 years producing and leading some of the most popular series in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in receiving him in the coming days. We are all excited to persist observing the progress of the game in the weeks to ahead.

David

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman currently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously was employed at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Concept

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 together with a early access event. At the time, the developers described the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting advancement on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary explains. "Challenge the opponents with unique powers, challenges, and obstacles that evolve every round. Do you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or aim high, put it on the line, and hope your group can secure victory? The choice is in your hands."

The game has not yet received an official release date or supported systems, but fans can expect additional details as development continues.