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2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Follows Poor Response

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last autumn.

Recently, 2K president David Ismailer notified team members about this decision through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the requirement for a more defined direction.

The president stated that the team is now reimagining the project with a renewed vision, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Key Recruitment

The news mirrors a similar action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the full message from the president's communication:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative developers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re eager for that relationship to continue.”

Through your commitment and versatility, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It validated the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It highlighted the necessity for a sharper identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You took the criticism to consideration and revamped the title with a revitalized goal - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our players.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To boost the remarkable progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the latest Director of the team. After several months of talks, he officially joins us on the specified date.

His management and expertise in the competitive gaming space is vast, having spent the past decade and a half developing and leading some of the most popular franchises in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in welcoming him next week. We are all excited to persist seeing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman currently holds the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. At the time, the developers described the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting advancement 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 game's pitch explains. "Take on the rivals with new abilities, challenges, and tests that evolve every match. Do you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and trust your squad can achieve the highest spot? The decision is yours."

Project Ethos has not yet received an confirmed release date or platforms, but enthusiasts can look forward to additional details as development advances.