2K Brings Onboard Popular Battle Royale Lead to Revitalize Challenged Action Game Project Ethos

The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Comes After Mixed Reception

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified employees about this decision through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the requirement for a clearer game identity.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now reimagining the project with a renewed focus, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement echoes a similar move taken by the publisher in August, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the complete text from Ismailer's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. 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 dedicated and innovative designers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to persist.”

With your dedication and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The player input from last autumn’s the game demo was informative. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It highlighted the requirement for a more distinct vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the feedback to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s ready to deliver on its ambition to our audience.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To boost the incredible advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce the new hire as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. Following a period of conversations, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.

Ben’s leadership and experience in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having spent the past decade and a half developing and managing some of the most popular series in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in welcoming him in the coming days. We are all eager to keep observing the progress of the game in the months to ahead.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee currently 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 various development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. At the time, the developers described the title as a "no-cost, 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! Customize your character in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the official summary explains. "Challenge the opponents with fresh skills, risks, and challenges that evolve every round. Will you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and pray your team can achieve the highest spot? The decision is up to you."

Project Ethos does not have an confirmed release date or platforms, but players can look forward to more updates as production advances.