2K Recruits Popular Battle Royale Producer to Revitalize Troubled Action Game Project Ethos

2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the anticipated over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Comes After Lukewarm Feedback

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer notified team members about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a more defined direction.

The president expressed that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

This announcement mirrors a comparable action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock development group.

Here is the entire content from Ismailer's communication:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a note, I stated the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative creators we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to endure.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last fall’s the game demo was revealing. It confirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but made clear we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the necessity for a sharper identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the criticism to mind and overhauled the title with a renewed goal - one that’s ready to deliver on its ambition to our players.

The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To advance the incredible progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Director of 31st Union. Following a period of conversations, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and background in the competitive gaming field is vast, having spent the past decade and a half producing and leading some of the most recognizable titles in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to persist seeing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.

The President

Background of the Incoming Head

Brinkman presently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. Initially, the developers presented the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting step forward on the style."

"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 official summary states. "Face the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that evolve every session. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, risk it all, and trust your team can secure victory? The choice is up to you."

The game does not have an official launch window or platforms, but enthusiasts can look forward to more updates as development continues.