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2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Follows Poor Feedback

Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at the development studio following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a clearer vision.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now refining the project with a refreshed focus, aiming to address gamer demands.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

The news follows a comparable move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock development group.

Here is the complete content from Ismailer's communication:

Team—

I know you all just completed your town hall - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a note, I stated the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented designers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to continue.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had refinements needed. It revealed the necessity for a clearer identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the feedback to mind and reimagined the title with a renewed goal - one that’s poised to achieve its potential to our fans.

The trust in this project strengthens every day. To boost the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the new Studio Head of the team. Following some time of conversations, he starts with us on the specified date.

His leadership and background in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having devoted the recent years developing and overseeing some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in receiving him soon. We are all looking forward to persist seeing the progress of Project ETHOS in the time to come.

David

Background of the New Head

The appointee 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 multiple production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 alongside a public demo. At the time, 31st Union presented the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting evolution on the category."

"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 official summary explains. "Take on the rivals with fresh skills, stakes, and challenges that shift every session. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and hope your team can secure victory? The decision is in your hands."

Project Ethos lacks an official release date or supported systems, but enthusiasts can anticipate further news as creation progresses.