2K Recruits Popular Battle Royale Lead to Boost Struggling Hero Shooter Project Ethos

The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Follows Lukewarm Feedback

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last fall.

Recently, 2K president David Ismailer updated team members about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the necessity for a distinct direction.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to better meet player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

This announcement mirrors a similar action taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire text from the president's memo:

Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative creators we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to continue.”

Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It validated the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the necessity for a sharper brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the criticism to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s ready to fulfill its promise to our fans.

The belief in this project grows every day. To advance the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of the team. After a period of conversations, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s guidance and background in the competitive gaming field is vast, having dedicated the recent years producing and leading some of the most recognizable series in gaming, for example the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in receiving him next week. We are all looking forward to continue seeing the progress of the game in the time to follow.

The President

Experience of the New Head

The appointee currently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in various development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. At the time, the developers described the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the official summary reads. "Face the opponents with unique powers, risks, and challenges that change every match. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and trust your team can earn top ranking? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos does not have an confirmed launch window or consoles, but fans can expect additional details as creation advances.