2K Hires Popular Battle Royale Producer to Rescue Troubled Hero Shooter Ambitious Title

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

Management Shift Comes After Lukewarm Reception

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster unveiling last fall.

Recently, 2K president David Ismailer notified staff about this decision through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the necessity for a more defined direction.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to better meet player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

The news mirrors a comparable move taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the complete content from Ismailer's memo:

Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented creators we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to endure.”

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

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It validated the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the need for a more distinct vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You took the input to mind and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s ready to achieve its potential to our fans.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To further the remarkable development you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of the team. Following several months of talks, Ben comes aboard us on the specified date.

His leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having dedicated the past decade and a half producing and managing some of the most popular titles in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in receiving him next week. We are all eager to persist observing the evolution of the game in the time to ahead.

The President

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee presently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman previously was employed at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in last year together with a community playtest. Then, 31st Union described the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling evolution on the style."

"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 new abilities, stakes, and obstacles that evolve every match. Do you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and hope your group can achieve the highest spot? The decision is up to you."

The game does not have an announced release date or supported systems, but enthusiasts can look forward to more updates as development advances.