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2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Comes After Lukewarm Response

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a distinct vision.

Ismailer stated that the team is now overhauling the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

This announcement follows a comparable action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the full content from Ismailer's memo:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and innovative creators we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re excited for that partnership to persist.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The player input from last autumn’s the game demo was enlightening. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the need for a more distinct identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the criticism to mind and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s ready to fulfill its potential to our audience.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To advance the remarkable advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome the new hire as the incoming Director of the team. After a period of talks, he starts with us on next week.

His leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having spent the past decade and a half developing and overseeing some of the most well-known titles in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in greeting Ben soon. We are all excited to persist witnessing the development of the game in the time to follow.

The President

Background of the New Head

The appointee currently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 together with a community playtest. At the time, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the style."

"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 game's pitch reads. "Take on the competition with unique powers, stakes, and tests that evolve every session. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and pray your team can earn top ranking? The option is in your hands."

Project Ethos lacks an announced launch window or consoles, but fans can look forward to additional details as development advances.