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

Leadership Change Comes After Poor Response

The new appointee 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 Project Ethos' lackluster initial reveal last autumn.

Recently, 2K president a key figure informed employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the requirement for a distinct game identity.

The president expressed that the developers is now overhauling the project with a revised vision, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

Trend of Strategic Acquisitions

The news follows a comparable move taken by the publisher in August, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the complete content from the president's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and talented developers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re eager for that partnership to continue.”

With your dedication and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate 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 improvements to make. It revealed the need for a more distinct vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the feedback to consideration and revamped the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s poised to deliver on its promise to our audience.

The trust in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To advance the outstanding progress you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of the team. After several months of conversations, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His management and experience in the PVP shooter field is vast, having devoted the last 15 years producing and overseeing some of the most recognizable franchises in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in greeting him soon. We are all looking forward to persist witnessing the progress of Project ETHOS in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman presently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 together with a public demo. Initially, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative advancement on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch reads. "Challenge the rivals with new abilities, stakes, and challenges that evolve every session. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and hope your group can achieve the highest spot? The decision is in your hands."

The game lacks an confirmed launch window or consoles, but fans can expect further news as creation advances.