2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Management Shift Comes After Poor Reception
Brinkman assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing initial reveal last fall.
Recently, 2K president David Ismailer updated team members about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had shown the requirement for a clearer vision.
The president stated that the developers is now overhauling the project with a revised vision, aiming to satisfy community desires.
A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment
This announcement mirrors a comparable action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock development group.
Here is the full text from the president's communication:
Dear Team—
I understand you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and talented developers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that relationship to continue.”
With your dedication and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.
The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the need for a sharper vision.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the feedback to heart and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized direction - one that’s positioned to achieve its ambition to our audience.
Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To advance the incredible advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of the team. After some time of conversations, Ben starts with us on the specified date.
His management and background in the competitive gaming field is extensive, having dedicated the recent years developing and managing some of the most popular series in gaming, for example the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.
I invite you all in greeting Ben next week. We are all looking forward to persist observing the progress of the game in the time to ahead.
David
Experience of the Incoming Head
Brinkman currently holds the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Details and Concept
Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 together with a early access event. Then, the developers presented the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the style."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch states. "Face the rivals with fresh skills, stakes, and challenges that shift every session. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and hope your squad can achieve the highest spot? The choice is up to you."
Project Ethos lacks an announced debut schedule or consoles, but players can anticipate additional details as production advances.
