The Gaming Giant Brings Onboard Apex Legends Developer to Revitalize Troubled Hero Shooter Ambitious Title

2K Games has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Follows Poor Feedback

The new appointee assumes 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 Project Ethos' disappointing initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the requirement for a more defined game identity.

The president noted that the team is now reimagining the project with a renewed approach, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

This announcement follows a comparable action taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire text from the president's communication:

Dear Team—

I know you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented creators we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to continue.”

With your dedication and flexibility, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last fall’s the game demo was informative. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the necessity for a clearer brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the criticism to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our audience.

The belief in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the outstanding progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Lead of the team. Following a period of talks, Ben comes aboard us on next week.

Ben’s management and background in the PVP shooter field is considerable, having spent the last 15 years producing and overseeing some of the most recognizable titles in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in greeting him soon. We are all excited to persist observing the evolution of the game in the weeks to follow.

David

Background of the Incoming Leader

The appointee currently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. Then, the developers presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative evolution on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch reads. "Take on the competition with new abilities, challenges, and tests that change every match. Will you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Or go big, risk it all, and trust your team can achieve the highest spot? The decision is yours."

The game does not have an announced debut schedule or platforms, but enthusiasts can anticipate more updates as creation advances.