2K Recruits Apex Legends Lead to Revitalize Troubled Hero Shooter Project Ethos

The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Transition Comes After Mixed Feedback

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster initial reveal last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had indicated the need for a clearer direction.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

The news echoes a comparable move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock development group.

Below is the entire text from Ismailer's announcement:

Dear Team—

I know you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented developers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that partnership to persist.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It revealed the requirement for a sharper vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the criticism to consideration and reimagined the title with a renewed direction - one that’s poised to deliver on its ambition to our audience.

The belief in Project ETHOS grows every day. To advance the incredible progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of the team. Following a period of conversations, he officially joins us on next week.

His guidance and experience in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having spent the last 15 years developing and leading some of the most recognizable series in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in welcoming him soon. We are all eager to persist witnessing the evolution of the game in the months to follow.

The President

Background of the New Head

The appointee presently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in last year alongside a public demo. Then, the developers described the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary reads. "Take on the competition with new abilities, risks, and tests that change every session. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or take a risk, risk it all, and pray your group can earn top ranking? The choice is up to you."

The game lacks an official release date or consoles, but players can look forward to further news as development progresses.