The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Management Change Comes After Mixed Reception
The new appointee takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming early showing last autumn.
Recently, 2K president a key figure updated staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a more defined vision.
Ismailer expressed that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to satisfy player expectations.
A Pattern of Key Recruitment
The news follows a similar step taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the entire text from the president's memo:
Hello Everyone—
I know you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a update, I stated the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and innovative developers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to persist.”
Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.
The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the requirement for a more distinct vision.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the criticism to heart and overhauled the title with a refreshed direction - one that’s poised to achieve its promise to our players.
The belief in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Director of the team. After a period of talks, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.
Ben’s guidance and experience in the PVP shooter field is considerable, having devoted the past decade and a half producing and managing some of the most popular franchises in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.
Let’s together in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to keep observing the development of the game in the time to ahead.
The President
Background of the Incoming Head
Brinkman presently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at major gaming companies in various production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Information and Vision
Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a early access event. Then, the developers described the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the style."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the description explains. "Challenge the competition with fresh skills, challenges, and tests that change every session. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, gamble everything, and pray your group can earn top ranking? The choice is in your hands."
The game does not have an official debut schedule or supported systems, but enthusiasts can anticipate additional details as development progresses.
