2K Hires Apex Legends Developer to Rescue Struggling Hero Shooter Project Ethos

The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Comes After Mixed Response

The new appointee steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming early showing last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure notified staff about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a clearer vision.

Ismailer noted that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to address community desires.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

This announcement follows a comparable step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the BioShock development group.

Here is the entire message from the president's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative creators we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to continue.”

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

The community feedback from last fall’s the game demo was revealing. It confirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the need for a more distinct identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the feedback to mind and reimagined Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s positioned to achieve its ambition to our audience.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the new Lead of the team. Following some time of talks, Ben starts with us on next week.

Ben’s leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming field is vast, having devoted the last 15 years creating and managing some of the most recognizable franchises in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in welcoming him next week. We are all eager to continue witnessing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.

The President

Experience of the New Leader

Brinkman presently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in last year alongside a early access event. At the time, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling evolution 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 suit your personal playstyle," the official summary explains. "Challenge the opponents with new abilities, risks, and challenges that evolve every session. Will you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and hope your team can achieve the highest spot? The choice is up to you."

Project Ethos does not have an confirmed launch window or consoles, but players can expect more updates as development progresses.