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

Leadership Change Comes After Mixed Reception

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed staff about this decision through an internal memo, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a clearer game identity.

The president expressed that the team is now reimagining the project with a revised focus, aiming to address community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions

This announcement follows a comparable step taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the full content from the president's communication:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just finished your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that partnership to continue.”

Through your commitment and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was revealing. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had refinements needed. It revealed the requirement for a clearer identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You took the input to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s ready to fulfill its promise to our fans.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To boost the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce the new hire as the incoming Director of the team. After a period of discussions, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and experience in the PVP shooter field is considerable, having devoted the last 15 years creating and leading some of the most recognizable titles in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to keep seeing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to ahead.

David

Background of the New Head

The appointee presently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 together with a public demo. Then, the developers described the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative evolution on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch states. "Take on the rivals with new abilities, stakes, and tests that change every match. Do you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and hope your team can achieve the highest spot? The decision is yours."

The game has not yet received an confirmed release date or platforms, but fans can look forward to additional details as development progresses.