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2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Follows Mixed Response

Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at the development studio following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure notified team members about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had indicated the need for a distinct direction.

The president stated that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a refreshed focus, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement follows a comparable step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock development group.

Below is the complete content from Ismailer's announcement:

Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative creators we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to endure.”

With your dedication and adaptability, especially over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The player input from last fall’s the game testing phase was informative. It confirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It highlighted the requirement for a clearer identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the feedback to consideration and revamped the title with a renewed goal - one that’s positioned to achieve its potential to our audience.

The trust in this project increases every day. To advance the remarkable progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of the team. Following some time of talks, he officially joins us on next week.

Ben’s guidance and experience in the competitive gaming field is extensive, having spent the recent years developing and leading some of the most popular series in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in greeting him next week. We are all eager to keep witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.

David

Background of the New Head

The appointee currently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, prior to that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 alongside a public demo. At the time, the developers presented the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting step forward on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the description reads. "Face the competition with new abilities, challenges, and obstacles that shift every session. Will you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and pray your team can earn top ranking? The decision is up to you."

The game lacks an announced debut schedule or supported systems, but fans can anticipate additional details as production advances.