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2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Comes After Poor Feedback

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer updated staff about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a distinct vision.

The president stated that the developers is now overhauling the project with a refreshed vision, aiming to better meet player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

This announcement mirrors a similar action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock development group.

Below is the full content from the president's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just completed your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and creative developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that relationship to persist.”

With your dedication and versatility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It confirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a clearer vision.

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

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To advance the outstanding progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Studio Head of the team. Following some time of conversations, he starts with us on next week.

Ben’s management and experience in the PVP shooter genre is extensive, having spent the recent years creating and leading some of the most well-known franchises in gaming, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in receiving him in the coming days. We are all looking forward to persist observing the development of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.

The President

Experience of the New Head

The appointee currently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a early access event. Initially, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting advancement on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the description states. "Take on the opponents with fresh skills, stakes, and tests that change every match. Will you leave securely with your collected items? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and trust your squad can secure victory? The option is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an announced debut schedule or supported systems, but enthusiasts can expect more updates as creation progresses.