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2K Games has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Change Follows Poor Feedback

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed team members about this decision through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the requirement for a clearer vision.

Ismailer stated that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Hires

The news echoes a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the full text from Ismailer's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a update, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and creative developers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re eager for that partnership to endure.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was revealing. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but made clear we still had refinements needed. It revealed the necessity for a sharper identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the feedback to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s ready to deliver on its potential to our fans.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To advance the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the incoming Director of the team. Following a period of conversations, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s management and experience in the competitive gaming field is considerable, having dedicated the past decade and a half producing and overseeing some of the most recognizable franchises in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in greeting Ben next week. We are all excited to persist seeing the progress of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.

David

Experience of the New Leader

Brinkman presently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. At the time, the developers portrayed the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling advancement on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch states. "Face the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and tests that change every round. Do you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, risk it all, and pray your group can secure victory? The choice is in your hands."

The game lacks an confirmed launch window or consoles, but fans can look forward to further news as production progresses.