The Gaming Giant Hires Apex Legends Developer to Revitalize Struggling Action Game Project Ethos

2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Comes After Poor Response

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a distinct vision.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now reimagining the project with a revised approach, aiming to address gamer demands.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

The news follows a comparable step taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the full content from Ismailer's memo:

Team—

I know 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 update, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative designers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to persist.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the need for a more distinct brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the feedback to heart and revamped the title with a renewed vision - one that’s poised to fulfill its promise to our audience.

The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To advance the remarkable progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of the team. After a period of talks, Ben officially joins us on next week.

Ben’s guidance and experience in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having devoted the past decade and a half developing and overseeing some of the most recognizable series in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in greeting him in the coming days. We are all looking forward to persist seeing the progress of the game in the weeks to follow.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman presently serves in the role of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. Then, the developers described the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling advancement on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the description explains. "Take on the rivals with new abilities, challenges, and obstacles that shift every round. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and hope your group can secure victory? The option is in your hands."

Project Ethos has not yet received an official release date or consoles, but fans can anticipate additional details as development continues.