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2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Change Follows Poor Feedback

Brinkman takes on the leadership position 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 unveiling last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed employees about this decision through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the need for a distinct vision.

Ismailer noted that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

This announcement echoes a similar action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise development group.

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

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a message, I stated the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative developers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to endure.”

With your dedication and versatility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game demo was enlightening. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a clearer identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the feedback to heart and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s poised to deliver on its promise to our fans.

The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the remarkable progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce the new hire as the new Lead of the team. Following some time of conversations, he comes aboard us on next week.

His management and background in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having dedicated the recent years creating and managing some of the most recognizable titles in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in welcoming him soon. We are all eager to keep witnessing the progress of the game in the weeks to follow.

The President

Background of the Incoming Head

The appointee currently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Concept

Project Ethos was revealed in last year together with a community playtest. Initially, the developers portrayed the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative evolution on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch reads. "Take on the competition with fresh skills, risks, and challenges that change every match. Will you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Or go big, put it on the line, and pray your squad can secure victory? The decision is up to you."

The game does not have an announced debut schedule or supported systems, but players can anticipate additional details as production continues.