The Gaming Giant Brings Onboard Popular Battle Royale Developer to Boost Challenged Action Game Ambitious Title

2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Transition Comes After Lukewarm Feedback

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed employees about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a clearer vision.

The president stated that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Key Hires

This announcement echoes a similar move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire message from Ismailer's communication:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented developers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to continue.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last autumn’s the game demo was enlightening. It confirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It revealed the need for a clearer vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the feedback to consideration and revamped the title with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to fulfill its ambition to our fans.

The trust in this project strengthens every day. To further the outstanding advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome the new hire as the latest Lead of the team. Following a period of discussions, Ben comes aboard us on the specified date.

His guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is extensive, having dedicated the last 15 years creating and overseeing some of the most recognizable franchises in gaming, for example the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in receiving him next week. We are all looking forward to continue observing the progress of the game in the time to ahead.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Leader

The appointee presently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 alongside a public demo. Initially, the developers presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative evolution on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch explains. "Take on the competition with new abilities, stakes, and obstacles that evolve every match. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, gamble everything, and hope your team can earn top ranking? The option is up to you."

Project Ethos lacks an announced debut schedule or platforms, but players can look forward to more updates as creation continues.