The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Change Comes After Poor Response
The new appointee steps into the role of studio head at the development studio following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing early showing last autumn.
On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed staff about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had indicated the requirement for a clearer direction.
Ismailer noted that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to satisfy community desires.
Trend of Key Recruitment
This announcement echoes a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.
Here is the entire text from Ismailer's announcement:
Hello Everyone—
I understand you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a note, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented designers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re eager for that partnership to persist.”
Given your hard work and versatility, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.
The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game demo was revealing. It validated the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It revealed the necessity for a sharper brand.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the feedback to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a revitalized direction - one that’s ready to fulfill its ambition to our audience.
Our confidence in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the incredible progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Lead of the team. After some time of conversations, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.
Ben’s leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is considerable, having spent the last 15 years developing and managing some of the most recognizable titles in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.
Please join me in greeting him next week. We are all excited to keep observing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to ahead.
David
Experience of the Incoming Head
The appointee presently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously worked at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Information and Concept
The upcoming game was announced in last year alongside a community playtest. At the time, the developers portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective 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 live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the official summary states. "Take on the rivals with fresh skills, risks, and challenges that evolve every round. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or take a risk, risk it all, and hope your team can achieve the highest spot? The choice is in your hands."
The game does not have an confirmed debut schedule or supported systems, but enthusiasts can anticipate additional details as creation continues.
