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2K Games has secured a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the forthcoming third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Follows Mixed Reception

The new appointee steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster initial reveal last fall.

Recently, 2K president a key figure updated employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a more defined vision.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to address player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement follows a comparable step taken by the publisher in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock development group.

Below is the entire content from the president's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just finished your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and talented designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that partnership to persist.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had work to do. It revealed the need for a sharper vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the criticism to consideration and revamped the title with a renewed vision - one that’s ready to deliver on its potential to our players.

Our confidence in this project increases every day. To further the incredible development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of the team. Following a period of conversations, Ben starts with us on next week.

His guidance and expertise in the competitive gaming space is vast, having devoted the last 15 years creating and managing some of the most popular titles in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in receiving him in the coming days. We are all excited to keep seeing the development of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman currently holds the position of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. Then, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative step forward on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the description explains. "Face the competition with new abilities, stakes, and obstacles that change every match. Will you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and trust your squad can secure victory? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an official release date or platforms, but enthusiasts can look forward to more updates as production continues.