The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Management Shift Comes After Poor Response
Brinkman steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing early showing last autumn.
On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer notified staff about this decision through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a clearer direction.
Ismailer expressed that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to satisfy community desires.
A Pattern of Key Acquisitions
The news echoes a similar action taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the complete content from Ismailer's announcement:
Team—
I understand you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative designers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to continue.”
With your dedication and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.
The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It confirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but made clear we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the necessity for a sharper identity.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the input to mind and overhauled the title with a renewed vision - one that’s poised to achieve its ambition to our audience.
Our confidence in this project increases every day. To advance the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the incoming Director of the team. After a period of conversations, Ben starts with us on next week.
Ben’s management and expertise in the PVP shooter space is vast, having dedicated the past decade and a half developing and overseeing some of the most popular series in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.
I invite you all in welcoming Ben soon. We are all looking forward to persist witnessing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.
David
Background of the New Head
The appointee presently serves in the role of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He previously was employed at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had periods at other industry leaders.
Title Information and Concept
The upcoming game was revealed in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. Then, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting advancement on the genre."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the description states. "Take on the rivals with unique powers, stakes, and obstacles that change every session. Do you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, risk it all, and hope your team can earn top ranking? The choice is in your hands."
Project Ethos has not yet received an confirmed debut schedule or platforms, but fans can expect further news as production continues.
