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The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer 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 Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Comes After Mixed Response

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had indicated the need for a more defined direction.

Ismailer stated that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to address community desires.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

The news follows a comparable move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the BioShock development group.

Here is the entire message from the president's announcement:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a note, I stated 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 collaborate with - and we’re eager for that partnership to persist.”

Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had work to do. It highlighted the need for a clearer brand.

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

Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the remarkable progress you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the latest Lead of 31st Union. After some time of talks, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.

His management and expertise in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having dedicated the last 15 years producing and overseeing some of the most popular titles in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in welcoming him soon. We are all excited to continue seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.

The President

Background of the Incoming Head

Brinkman presently holds the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 alongside a public demo. Then, the developers described the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting evolution on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the description reads. "Face the rivals with new abilities, risks, and tests that change every match. Do you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and trust your group can secure victory? The option is yours."

Project Ethos does not have an announced debut schedule or consoles, but players can anticipate further news as development advances.