2K Games has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team 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 assumes the role of studio head at the development studio following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last autumn.
On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed team members about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had shown the necessity for a more defined game identity.
Ismailer expressed that the team is now reimagining the project with a renewed approach, aiming to address community desires.
A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions
The news follows a comparable action taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the complete content from the president's memo:
Team—
I understand you all just finished your meeting - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a note, I expressed 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 collaborate with - and we’re eager for that partnership to continue.”
Given your hard work and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.
The community feedback from last autumn’s the game demo was enlightening. It confirmed the promise of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It revealed the necessity for a sharper vision.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the input to mind and reimagined Project ETHOS with a revitalized direction - one that’s positioned to fulfill its promise to our players.
The trust in this project strengthens every day. To boost the incredible development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce the new hire as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. After some time of conversations, Ben starts with us on the specified date.
His leadership and background in the competitive gaming genre is extensive, having dedicated the last 15 years creating and managing some of the most popular titles in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.
Let’s together in welcoming him in the coming days. We are all looking forward to persist observing the development of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.
The President
Experience of the Incoming Head
Brinkman currently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Information and Vision
The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 together with a early access event. At the time, the developers described the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative advancement on the category."
"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 description reads. "Face the competition with unique powers, risks, and obstacles that evolve every round. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, risk it all, and pray your group can secure victory? The decision is up to you."
Project Ethos lacks an confirmed debut schedule or supported systems, but players can expect further news as development progresses.
