The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Leadership Change Follows Poor Feedback
The new appointee takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last autumn.
On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer informed staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a distinct vision.
The president stated that the developers is now refining the project with a refreshed focus, aiming to better meet community desires.
A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions
The news follows a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the full content from the president's communication:
Dear Team—
I know you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented designers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re eager for that partnership to persist.”
With your dedication and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you repeatedly show that.
The gamer responses from last fall’s the game playtest was revealing. It validated the potential of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had improvements to make. It revealed the necessity for a more distinct vision.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the input to heart and revamped the title with a renewed goal - one that’s positioned to deliver on its promise to our players.
Our confidence in this project increases every day. To further the outstanding progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the new Director of the team. After a period of conversations, he comes aboard us on next week.
His leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming space is considerable, having dedicated the past decade and a half creating and managing some of the most well-known titles in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.
I invite you all in greeting Ben soon. We are all looking forward to continue witnessing the progress of Project ETHOS in the time to come.
David
Experience of the Incoming Head
Brinkman currently serves in the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He previously was employed at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Information and Concept
The upcoming game was announced in last year in conjunction with a public demo. Then, the developers presented the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling evolution on the style."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the official summary states. "Take on the competition with fresh skills, challenges, and obstacles that shift every round. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, gamble everything, and hope your team can earn top ranking? The choice is up to you."
Project Ethos lacks an announced debut schedule or supported systems, but enthusiasts can anticipate more updates as creation progresses.
