2K Hires Popular Battle Royale Developer to Revitalize Struggling Hero Shooter Project Ethos

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 upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Follows Lukewarm Feedback

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed team members about this strategic move through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the necessity for a more defined direction.

The president expressed that the team is now refining the project with a revised approach, aiming to address player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

The news mirrors a comparable action taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock development group.

Here is the entire content from Ismailer's communication:

Team—

I know you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Previously I shared you all a update, I expressed the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to endure.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last fall’s the game demo was enlightening. It validated the promise of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the requirement for a clearer vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the criticism to consideration and overhauled the title with a revitalized goal - one that’s ready to fulfill its promise to our audience.

The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the outstanding development you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. After a period of discussions, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s guidance and background in the PVP shooter space is vast, having dedicated the recent years developing and managing some of the most popular series in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in receiving Ben soon. We are all eager to keep seeing the progress of the game in the months to ahead.

The President

Background of the New Head

Brinkman presently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 alongside a public demo. Then, the developers portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary explains. "Challenge the rivals with unique powers, risks, and obstacles that change every round. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or aim high, gamble everything, and trust your squad can earn top ranking? The decision is up to you."

Project Ethos has not yet received an announced launch window or consoles, but enthusiasts can look forward to additional details as production advances.